WASHINGTON: US special envoy for peace in Af­­g­hanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will visit Afghanistan, Pak­i­s­tan, the United Arab Emi­­rates and Qatar from Nov 8 to 20 to push for peace negotiations with the Afghan Ta­­liban, the State Department said on Thursday.

“On his last trip to the region in October, Special Representative Khalilzad called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to organise authoritative negotiating teams, and has been encouraged to see that both parties are taking steps in that direction,” the State Department said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2018