PM Imran Khan, Erdogan Discuss US Troops Withdrawal From Afghanistan

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 05 Jan 2023

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan received a telephone call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.

The two leaders exchanged felicitations on the advent of the holy month of Ramzan. They discussed issues of mutual interest, including further strengthening of bilateral relations in all areas.

In the regional context, the prime minister stressed the importance of a negotiated political settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan ahead of the recently announced planned US withdrawal.

The prime minister highlighted that Pakistan had fully supported and facilitated the US-Taliban Peace Agreement and the subsequent initiation of Intra-Afghan Negotiations. He stressed that the Intra-Afghan Negotiations provided a historic opportunity that must be seized by the Afghan leadership to achieve an inclusive, broad-based, and comprehensive political settlement.

Appreciating Turkey’s role, the prime minister added that Pakistan would continue to extend all possible support to the efforts for a political solution for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. It was agreed that the momentum of high-level exchanges would be continued to transform bilateral relations into strategic economic partnerships.