US lauds Pakistan's role in Afghan peace process.

WASHINGTON -- United States Secretary of Defence Mark Esper on Friday telephoned Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and lauded Pakistan's role in the Afghan peace process and vowed to continue close assistance to Pakistan.

According to the spokesperson of the Pentagon, matters related to security and other bilateral issues were discussed during the telephonic conversation.

On March 4, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had clarified that Pakistan only facilitated the Afghan peace process for ending the decades-old war in the country.

He said this while taking the upper house of the parliament into confidence over the US-Taliban peace deal.

Following the successful dialogue, the US and the Afghan Taliban had signed the peace deal on February 29, marking an end to the...