Sikandar Stanikzai
The Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Dr Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal on Tuesday met the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in Islamabad, and exchanged views on a wide array of issues with much emphasize on the Afghan peace.
In the meeting, the US and NATO’s Resolute Support Mission Commander in Afghanistan Gen. Austin S. Miller and the Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Islamabad ambassador Paul Jones were also present.
Later Dr Omar Zakhilwal took to Twitter and apprised about the issues he deliberated upon in his meeting with top US officials.
Today met with @realZalmayMK US Special Adviser on Afghanistan & his delegation including Gen Milller & Amb Jones for detailed discussion on Afghan peace,current environment,challenges, opportunities,internal/external complexities & way forward. Am encouraged by current prospects pic.twitter.com/CCHB60F9up
— Dr Omar Zakhilwal (@DrOmarZakhilwal) October 9, 2018
Dr Omar Zakhilwal, who also served as the Afghan Minister for Finance from March 2009 to February 2015, assumed the Office of the Afghan top diplomat in Islamabad in February 2016. Since then, his proactive approach not only helped in strengthening of Pak-Afghan bilateral ties but his efforts also yielded positive results with regards to repatriation of Afghan refugees and ensuring perpetual peace in the war-torn Country.
Omar Zakhilwal’s efforts steered Afghanistan towards peace & prosperity
His arrival in Islamabad as the Afghan envoy placed a new mile stone in the Pak-Afghan relationships. He solved the burning issue of some 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and assisted them in solving their problems. Ho not only assisted Afghan refugees in Pakistan but also helped them return to their own Country and settled there. In his era, more than 500,000 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan and engaged themselves in earning their livelihood. His charming personality has been a symbol of solidarity between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In addition, as an icon of peace and prosperity, Dr Omar Zakhilwal took the step of pacifying estranged Afghans like Gull Badin Hikmatyar and persuaded them to shun internal rifts. He also succeeded to convince other defiant groups to surrender their weapons and voluntarily join the President Dr Ashraf Ghani-led government in Kabul, aiming at to ensure that peace and prosperity prevail in Afghanistan.
