ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad did not arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday as scheduled after his visit was delayed yet again.
According to reports, Khalilzad was scheduled to land in Islamabad on Tuesday as part of his two-week international tour to “facilitate a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan”. However, his arrival was rescheduled to Wednesday after the US envoy was said to be occupied in diplomatic meetings in Kabul.
Khalilzad, who has been travelling abroad extensively to engage all the stakeholders in Afghanistan issue to arrive at a mutual consensus, met Taliban representatives in Abu Dhabi last month.
Wednesday marked the third time when Khalilzad’s schedule has been changed since the original announcement. He was expected to land in the federal capital on Tuesday afternoon but was later rescheduled to 9pm. It was again changed to Wednesday morning between 7am and 8am.
According to the programme, the US envoy will be accompanied by the United States Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells. The duo will meet senior civil and military leaders during their stay in Pakistan. In addition to this, delegation-level talks will also be held at the Foreign Office on the subject of Afghan peace process.
Deputy Assistant to US President Donald Trump, Lisa Curtis arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday.
The US envoy’s visit to Pakistan comes in the background of Trump’s electoral promise and subsequent announcements that he will bring home more than half of the 14,000 US troops, currently deployed in Afghanistan.
