In his Eidul Fitr statement, Ghani confirmed he will arrive in the federal capital on June 27 to “discuss security and economic issues”.
The premier and the Afghan president met on the sidelines of the 14th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) summit in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on June 1 and exchanged views on the Afghan peace process and bilateral ties between the two neighbours.
Describing the meeting as “productive”, Ghani maintained that “introductory’ meetings are not required; there should be “practical meetings”.
A statement by the Prime Minister’s Office said that PM Imran assured Kabul of Islamabad’s support in bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. He also underlined Pakistan’s firm support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for a political solution in Afghanistan,” it read.
“The forthcoming visit of President Ashraf Ghani to Pakistan would provide an opportunity to further focus on political, security, economic and people-to-people aspects of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.”
PM Imran discusses Afghan peace process with Ghani
PM Imran meeting’s with the Afghan president was welcomed by United States Special Representative for the Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad. In a statement shared on Twitter, Khalilzad said improved ties between Kabul and Islamabad were “key to reaching, implementing & capitalising on opportunities for regional connectivity, integration & development.
The Afghan peace process
The US envoy is on a mission to expedite the Afghan peace process as the war in the war-torn country enters its 19th year. He has held a series of meetings with the Pakistani leadership as part of Washington’s renewed push to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table.
The latest push for a peace came after President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking Pakistan’s help for the negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict.
Although both the US and Pakistan now have a commonality of views on seeking a political solution to the Afghan problem, the trust deficit between the two is the real stumbling block. Relations between the two countries are tense despite recent efforts to reset the troubled ties.
At the heart of their stalemate is the US insistence on Pakistan to do more to bring the Afghan Taliban on to the negotiating table. Washington still believes that Islamabad holds considerable sway over the insurgent group.
Pak-brokered talks with Taliban
The three-day parleys were attended by representatives of the Afghan Taliban, the US as well as officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
It was the first time that the Taliban’s military and political leaders attended a negotiation – something that has renewed hopes of a possible peace deal. Previously, the Taliban were only represented by their political office in Qatar.
The presence of the Taliban leaders like Mullah Amir Mutaqi, Qari Yahya, Mullah Mohibullah Hamas and Mullah Abbas Akhund at the UAE talks suggests the seriousness of the insurgent group towards the latest round of discussions facilitated by Pakistan.
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