The Taliban may soon release two hostages who were captured in August 2016, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said during a three-day visit to Washington.
He told U.S. President Donald Trump that Islamabad will have “good news" soon about American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks.
Both taught at the American University in Kabul.
Speaking at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on July 23, Khan said he plans to meet with the Taliban to persuade the militant group to hold talks with the Western-backed Afghan government in an attempt to end the nearly 18-year war.
"I will meet the Taliban and I will try my best to get them to talk to the Afghan government," Khan said.
Khan held talks with Trump at the White House on July 22 and met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on July 23, with Washington hopeful that Islamabad can help it find a way out of the conflict.
Pompeo’s spokesman, Morgan Ortagus, acknowledged “Pakistan’s significant role in supporting the Afghan peace process and counterterrorism,” in a July 23 statement.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, is on his way to Kabul at the start of his latest peace mission as the war in the country has heated up in recent weeks.
Pakistan's Imran Khan Says Taliban May Soon Release Two Hostages
Related
Editors' Picks
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Four Years On, UN Says Taliban Close To 'Erasing' Afghan Women From Public Life
2After Key Report On Afghanistan, State Department Says Taliban Was Keeping Aid
3Kabul's Quiet Resistance: Young Afghans Navigate Life Under The Taliban
4China Dangles Belt And Road Investment To Mend Taliban-Pakistan Ties
5World Food Program Warns Of 'Unprecedented' Hunger Crisis In Afghanistan
6Bad Move: Taliban's Chess Ban Adds To Crackdown On Sports And Pastimes
7Russia Boosts The Taliban's Quest For Legitimacy. Who Will Be Next?
8Taliban Restrictions Blamed For Surge In Suicides Among Afghans
9Death Toll Rises As Heavy Rains Devastate Northwestern Pakistan
10Pakistan Hit By More Fatal Flooding As Recovery Crews Look For Dead
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.