ISLAMABAD: Days after Pakistan asked the Afghan Taliban to choose whether they want to stand with their neighbour, or the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pak­­i­s­tan (TTP) militant group, a key US official has called on Islamabad to seek a political settlement with Kabul.

Zalmay Khalilzad, who was named US special representative to Afghanistan during the previous Trump administration, also called on Afghanistan to “help Pakistan with such negotiations”.

The former diplomat recently undertook a visit to Kabul alongside US hostage envoy Adam Boehler, where he met with key members of the Afghan Taliban regime.

In a tweet posted after he wrapped up his visit, Khalilzad noted that violence between Pakistan’s security forces and the TTP had resulted in the deaths of a significant number of security personnel and citizens.

Imran echoes Khalilzad’s views, terms dialogue with Kabul only way to achieve lasting peace

Saying that he believed pursuing a military solution to this challenge was a mistake, he called on Islamabad to “shift to a political strategy and negotiate”.

“The Pakistani establishment always advised the US and Afghan government before 2021 to negotiate and seek a political settlement with the Afghan Taliban. The time has come for Pakistan to consider doing the same,” he said.

The timing of the message is significant, as it comes just days after PM Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir gave Kabul a stark choice.

“I want to give a clear message to Afghanistan to choose between Pakistan and TTP,” PM Shehbaz had said during a visit to Bannu alongside the army chief.

Although President Trump and US military officials such as CENTCOM chief Gen Michael Kurilla have repeatedly praised Pakistan’s counterterror cooperation — with the arrest of IS-Khorasan operative who targeted the Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate in 2021 being a highlight — Khalilzad’s message seems to be the first indication that the US wants both Islamabad and Kabul to come to the table.

In Washington circles, Khalilzad is viewed as a hawk. He openly sympathises with jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and has — in the past — reserved critical words for Pakistan.

In a tweet posted just last month, he claimed that Afghanistan’s successful operations against IS-Khorasan had pushed their leadership into Pakistan and alleged that the latter was now becoming a ‘safe haven’ for the militant group.

Imran echoes dialogue call

Khalilzad’s remarks echoed the views of the incarcerated former PM, who has also called for dialogue to address the militancy currently pla­guing the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — where his party is in power.

In a tweet posted to his X account on Tuesday, Mr Khan said that operations initiated in the former tribal areas were leading to rising police, military and civilian casualties.

“This approach can ne­­v­er establish peace. Las­t­ing peace only comes thr­ough dialogue,” he said. He alleged that what was being attempted in KP was merely an atte­mpt to discredit the PTI government, and claimed a military operation would only fuel further terrorism.

As police are diverted to counter the rising threat from terrorism, governance and law and order will collapse, he said. He urged all KP lawmakers to sit with the chief minister to urgently resolve the challenges of the province, and called on his allies — namely Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai — to send a peace delegation to Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025