ISLAMABAD, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for talks to explore ways for political solution to the Afghan conflict, officials said.
A Pakistani foreign ministry official told Xinhua that Khalilzad will open talks with Pakistani officials later in the day after he had discussions with senior Afghan leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, over the past few days in Afghan capital city Kabul.
Officials said the U.S. envoy will meet Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and is expected to call on the military leaders during his three-day visit in Pakistan.
The United States has been seeking Pakistan's cooperation to encourage the Taliban to start talk with the Afghan government, officials said.
Khalilzad cancelled his meeting with the Taliban that was scheduled to be held in Qatar on Jan. 9-10, days after the Taliban refused to meet representatives of the Afghan government in the United Arab Emirates.
Before his arrival in Pakistan, the U.S. envoy visited India, the United Arab Emirates and China.
