Pakistan, U.S. Seek to Restart Afghan Peace Talks

The U.S.-Afghan peace envoy and the head of the Pakistani army welcomed the start of a peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban, while violence has resumed after a brief ceasefire was announced two weeks ago.

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The dialogue took place between U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Islamabad on Sunday.

"The ceasefire allowed some progress such as accelerating the release of prisoners and reducing violence ahead of the intra-Afghan negotiations," a U.S. statement said.

The peace agreed between the two countries in Afghanistan offers an unprecedented opportunity "to advance security, connectivity and development in the region," the statement added.

Among the main issues discussed were the repatriation of more than two million Afghan refugees who had been living in Pakistan for decades and the management of the 2,500 km long border between the two countries.

Pakistan began fencing the border to stop the movement of Taliban fighters three years ago, a move that the Afghan government has rejected as it disputes the position of the border.

In February, the U.S. and the Afghan Taliban signed an agreement to put an end to the longest U.S. war, fought in Afghanistan since 2001.