Imran Khan reiterates support for Afghanistan peace process in call with Ashraf Ghani

Islamabad: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has spoken to Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani and reiterated his support to the Afghan-led and owned peace process in the war-torn country. The two leaders spoke on Wednesday as the Doha-based Taliban’s Political Commission (TPC) arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit and met foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The group is scheduled to meet Imran during the visit. The Pakistan prime minister’s office said Khan welcomed the recent progress in the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha, underlining that Pakistan’s outreach to all Afghan stakeholders was part of its efforts to ensure progress towards an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement. He told President Ghani that the “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace process was critical for regional stability. Imran said the latest visit by the TPC delegation to Pakistan would further the talks. The prime minister urged all Afghan parties to actively reduce violence in the country. The leaders agreed to continue their engagement for supporting the peace process and enhancing bilateral cooperation, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Last month, Imran made his maiden visit to Kabul and held talks with Ghani and other leaders.