Amid the stalled Afghan peace process in Doha, Pakistan appears supportive of the renewed Russian efforts to revive the peace negotiation for a political solution aiming to end the four-decade-old Afghan conflict.

Russia has recently launched a diplomatic initiative involving the US, China, Iran, and Pakistan. A report in The Express Tribune, citing diplomatic sources in Pakistan, confirmed that Pakistan will be participating in a crucial meeting scheduled later this month. 

Last week, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president’s special representative to Afghanistan, had also visited Pakistan and held talks with Pakistan Army chief,  Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Earlier, Kabulov, in an interview with Russian media, also supported the formation of an interim government in Afghanistan. 

Interestingly, the Russian initiative came after the Biden administration announced that they would review the 2020 Doha deal, signed during the Trump presidency. As the US  is yet to make a final call on its commitment to troop withdrawal, NATO last week avoided taking any decision on withdrawing its troops from the war-torn country. 

Pakistan, on the other hand, has been pushing the US administration to go along with the 2020 deal. The Afghan peace process has thus far failed to reduce violence in the country- a key commitment in the 2020 Doha deal.