Pak welcomes resumption of US-Taliban talks

Pakistan has welcomed the resumption of peace talks between the United States and Taliban which had remained suspended for three months, and urged all parties to the Afghan conflict to engage constructively on the same.

"Pakistan welcomes the announcement regarding the resumption of the US-Taliban talks. We hope that it will lead to intra-Afghan negotiations and ultimately to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan," country's Foreign Office said in a statement, as cited by Dawn.

"Pakistan encourages all parties to the conflict to engage constructively as a shared responsibility," it added.

The US State Department said on Wednesday said America will shortly resume talks with the Taliban. A statement released in this regard read that US negotiator on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, will head to Qatar to " rejoin talks with the Taliban to discuss steps that could lead to intra-Afghan negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the war, specifically a reduction in violence that leads to a ceasefire."

The US and Taliban had held 9 rounds of peace talks in Doha and had reached upon an agreement "in principle", albeit, the negotiations were called off by US President Donald Trump citing the group's continued attacks.