Pakistan will host the leader of Afghanistan’s Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami, Ustad Karim Khalili, who will arrive in Pakistan on Monday (today) and will stay till Wednesday, 13th January, the Foreign Office informed on Sunday. During his stay, he will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, among other leaders.
According to the Foreign Office, the visit will reflect Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan’s political leadership for a “common understanding on the Afghan peace process and deepen people-to-people linkages,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
Pakistan and Afghanistan’s deep-rooted history goes years back. Both the countries have similar cultures and traditions as well as the same faith.
Read more: Afghan peace talks continue, so does the violence
A statement by the Foreign Office maintained, “Pakistan fully supports all efforts for peace, stability, and prosperity of the Afghan peace.” Pakistan remains to back Afghanistan achieve an all-encompassing and inclusive political solution via the Afghan peace process for the conflict that has consumed the country for decades, stated the Foreign Office.
The visit by the Afghan leaders comes days after the Afghan-Taliban peace talks led by Ashraf Ghani resumed in Doha.
“The talks are going to be very complicated and time-consuming,” Ghulam Farooq Majroh, a government negotiator said.
Read more: No military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan: PM Khan
“But we are hopeful to arrive at a result as soon as possible as people are tired of this bloody war.”
The talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have been marred by an increase in violence from the start, but a new trend is a wave of high-profile targeted killings of officials, activists, and journalists.
The deputy governor for Kabul province, five journalists, and a prominent election activist have been among those assassinated in Kabul and other cities since November.
Read more: What future awaits for war-torn Afghanistan?
Officials blame the Taliban for the mayhem, although the militant Islamic State group has claimed some of the assaults.
“The Taliban aim to divide the people and trigger criticism and frustration against the government’s security institutions with these assassinations,” Javid Faisal, an adviser to the National Security Council said
Read more: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar appreciates Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace talks