ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua briefed the UN special representative on the efforts being made by Pakistan to restore peace in Afghanistan.

He was talking to Tadamichi Yamamoto, Special Representative of the Secretary General for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, during a meeting here on Thursday.

Welcoming the UN representative to his new assignment, Mr Janjua said that peace in Afghanistan was vital for Pakistan.

He said it was a serious disappointment that anti-Pakistan rhetoric emanating from Kabul was on the rise.

He said Pakistan was convinced that a politically negotiated settlement through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process remained the only option for a peaceful Afghanistan.

He said that the Afghan government and Taliban must come to terms with each other to bring lasting peace to Afghanistan, while Pakistan, like all others, was only a facilitator of the reconciliation process.

Mr Yamamoto appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan and acknowledged the sacrifices of the people of Pakistan in the war against terrorism.

He agreed that a political solution was the key to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2016