ISLAMABAD — A top diplomat from President Donald Trump’s administration has met with the Pakistani army chief to discuss how to ensure peace in Afghanistan following a recent cease-fire between the Taliban and Kabul.

Pakistan is believed to have played a role in ensuring the first truce in Afghanistan’s brutal 17-year war when Kabul and insurgents separately but peacefully celebrated the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr. However, violence has later resumed.

Alice Wells, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, met with Pakistani army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The visit Tuesday came after Afghanistan stepped up efforts at finding a peaceful settlement, weeks after a U.S. drone missile killed Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan.

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This piece originally appeared in The Washington Post on July 04, 2018. Original link.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this blog are not necessarily endorsed or supported by the Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad.

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