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The Hindu, March 01, 2018

Mubashir Zaidi KARACHI,  22:33 IST

Pakistan has welcomed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer that sought peace through dialogue and said that it would do its best to facilitate the realisation of the objective.

Following Mr. Ghani’s offer on Wednesday, Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal called on National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua to discuss the ongoing efforts to bring about peace and stability in the region.

Closer engagement

The office of the NSA said after the meeting that Mr. Zakhilwal briefed Lt. Gen. Janjua on the international peace conference in Kabul. Mr. Zakhilwal reportedly said that Mr. Ghani had given a message of peace and reconciliation to Taliban, together with a message of closer engagement and cordial relations with Pakistan. He hoped that being the closest neighbour of Afghanistan, Pakistan would make its due contribution.

Lt. Gen. Janjua told Mr. Zakhilwal that Islamabad wanted an early closure to the bloodshed in Afghanistan. “Peace in Afghanistan is essential for peace in Pakistan. Pakistan believes in a vision of common and shared future with the people of Afghanistan; that is why Pakistan has all along supported efforts for political reconciliation under... peace initiatives,” he said.