US delegation arrives in Pakistan to discuss Afghan peace process

A 17-member delegation of the United States' Department of Defence arrived in Pakistan on Saturday to discuss the Afghan peace process, days after the US and Taliban negotiators agreed "in principle" aimed at ending the 18-year long war.

The agreement was reached upon during the ninth round of peace talks, under which Washington would withdraw 5400 of its troops from five of its bases in Afghanistan in 135 days.

The US currently has about 14,000 service members in Afghanistan, and the move would reduce troop levels to one of the lowest points in the history of the 18-year long war.

The figure had swelled to nearly 100,000 at the highest mark in 2011 and dipped to 8,300 in 2017, according to USA Today.

Meanwhile, Islamabad is also gearing up to host Foreign Ministers of China and Afghanistan, Wang Yi and Salahuddin Rabbani respectively, for the third round of trilateral dialogue slated to be held today in Islamabad.

The trilateral dialogue will focus on the progress thus far made on the Afghan peace process and proposed expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, reported ARY news.