Breakthrough reported in Pak-US ties and talks on Afghanistan

By Khaama Press - Tue Dec 12 2017, 12:52 pm

A breakthrough has been reported in relations between the United States and Pakistan as the two countries are busy holding talks on Afghanistan.

According to the local media reports, citing officials privy with the development, the officials of the two counties have held a series of talks on Afghanistan following the visit by defense secretary James Mattis.

An official has told the local Dawn News that the US- Pakistan talks for finding a common ground in Afghanistan have moved away from exchanging allegations into a phase of quiet diplomacy aimed at resolving differences.

This comes as the Afghan Ambassador to Islamabad Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal had earlier said he is optimistic that the bilateral ties between Kabul and Islamabad will improve in the near future.

According to Zakhilwal, the current misgivings and grievances are short-lived and will soon end, emphasizing that were facing the same challenges and enemies.

Insisting on bilateral cooperation to resolve the issues, Zakhilwal said things were moving in the right direction on the diplomatic front.

The Afghan and US officials have long been criticizing Pakistan for its failure to act against the terror network although they have said that the country has take strict actions against the terror groups posing threat to the Pakistani government.

The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) earlier had warned that the United States will take necessary steps if Pakistan fails to destroy terror safe havens in its soil.

In response to a question during a forum in California, Mike Pameo said the defense secretary James Mattis was travelling to Pakistan to “make clear the president’s intent” and “will deliver the message that we would love you to do that.

“And that the safe haven inside of Pakistan has worked to the detriment of our capacity to do what we needed to do in Afghanistan,” he added.

However, the Pakistani officials are saying that the majority of the attacks taking place in Pakistan are being orchestrated by the militants having safe havens in the Afghan soil.

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