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
Editor's Picks
Subscribe
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Afghan Women Not Barred From Speaking To Each Other, Says Taliban
2Turkey Deports 325 Afghan Nationals In 48 Hours
3Afghan Journalists Fear Losing 'Last Remaining' Freedoms
4Taliban To Attend UN Climate Conference For First Time
5Taliban Carries Out Sixth Public Execution Since Returning To Power
6This Afghan Family Is Surviving On Leftovers From Neighbors
7Afghanistan, One Of The World's Most Vulnerable Countries To Climate Change
8Pakistan Reports New Polio Cases, Raising Number To 45 So Far This Year
9Afghan Teacher, Imprisoned Tajik Lawyer Win Prestigious Rights Award
10Afghan Teen Wins Children's Peace Prize For Work Advocating For Girls' Rights
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.
