Khan hopes for political settlement to Afghan war

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan has welcomed the Biden administration’s continued efforts for finding a political settlement to the conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Addressing a national security dialogue in Islamabad on Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed Pakistan had done all it could to promote the US-led peace process in Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan had the highest stakes in a peaceful Afghanistan and promised continued assistance for a political settlement there. “Peace in Afghanistan is the key to unlocking the connectivity potential of the region.”

Khan added:  “The Biden administration has also acknowledged that the [Afghan] conflict has continued for 20 years and it must not prolong further.”

Also on Wednesday, the US president said it would be hard for his administration to pull out troops from Afghanistan by the May 1 deadline, as stipulated in last year’s peace pact with the Taliban.

About the agreement, Biden said in an interview with ABC:  “That was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the former president worked out.”

In his speech, the prime minister said Pakistan’s security and economic progress were directly linked to peace in Afghanistan.

The Afghan peace process and political reconciliation efforts, however, faced many challenges, he remarked. “No one should underestimate how difficult it is in a country facing a civil war-type situation for 20 years.

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