Bringing warring Afghan factions to table is a big challenge: Khalilzad

US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday said that Afghanistan is facing internal threats.

Addressing the international conference titled "40 Years of Afghan Refugees' Presence in Pakistan: A New Partnership for Solidarity" in Islamabad, the envoy said that US wants durable peace in Afghanistan for which the neighbouring countries are also playing a major role. “Making warring factions sit together is a big challenge,” he said.

Zalmay Khalilzad expressed the hope that the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban will boost Pakistan-Afghanistan trade ties as well. 

This is worth mentioning here that the conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, ministers and senior officials from around 20 countries participated in the event.

Earlier, the US envoy on Afghanistan called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at Prime Minister's House and discussed matters of mutual interest. 

Later, Khalilzad called on Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army on Monday. At the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security and the Afghan peace process came under discussion.