ISLAMABAD: United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman on Saturday lauded Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif for his role in bringing together all parties to hold peace talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa said on Twitter.

The visiting envoy met Gen Raheel at Army House and discussed Afghanistan as well as security and stability in the region. Feldman hoped with all sincerity that talks would resume again soon in order to bring lasting peace in the region.

Last month, Pakistan said it is ready to facilitate dialogue between the Afghan government and Afghan Taliban.

"Pakistan is ready to play any possible role in the reopening of dialogue between Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government where ever it is being planned," Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz had said during the first ever meeting of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee at Parliament House.

Read: Pakistan ready to facilitate dialogue between Afghan govt, Taliban: Sartaj Aziz

The first round of what Islamabad described as the 2+2+1 or the Murree Peace Process was held on July 7. Pakistan’s foreign office in a statement at the end of the night-long deliberations said participants recognised the need to undertake confidence-building measures in order to engender trust among all stakeholders.

Also read: Afghan govt, Taliban resume peace talks in Murree on Friday

In the first round, the Afghan government side was led by its deputy foreign minister, Hekmat Khalil Karzai, while the Taliban delegation was led by Mulla Abbas Durrani.

Following the death of Taliban chief Mullah Omar that could deepen an already intense internecine turf war within the insurgent group, the Foreign Office on Thursday had announced the postponement of second round of Afghan peace talks.

Take a look: FO announces postponement of second round of Afghan peace talks

“In view of the reports regarding the death of Mullah Omar and the resulting uncertainty… the second round of the Afghan peace talks… is being postponed,” a brief FO statement had said hours after its spokesman had at the weekly media briefing said that Islamabad was geared to hold the talks.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan regretted the postponement of the dialogue and hoped that the meeting would be rescheduled soon.

The meeting between Taliban and Afghan government representatives in the presence of officials from Pakistan, China and the United States was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on Friday.