All stakeholders in Afghanistan should agree on a comprehensive ceasefire, say Pak, China leaders  

All Afghan stakeholdersshouldagree on a comprehensive ceasefire andlook towork together to achieve a broad-based, inclusive and negotiated political settlementin the country, saidPakistan and China leaders in a joint statementon Saturday.

PakistanForeign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi made the call afterholding the third session of the foreign ministers’ strategic dialoguein Chengdu, Sichuan province’s capital, China, a Dawn report said.

The two leaders alsoreaffirmed their commitment to facilitate and support an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace and reconciliation process for the earlyrealisationof a peaceful, stable, united and prosperous Afghan­istan, which would firmly combat terrorism and live in harmony with itsneighbours,a joint statement issued later said.

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Earlier, a spokesperson of US State Department said, the world will not accept the imposition by force of a government in Afghanistan.

After the Taliban insisted it will not agree on ceasefire and peace unless there is an agreement on a new government in Afghanistan, the United States has called on the group “to engage in serious negotiations”.

US State Department’s deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said, “We call on the Taliban to engage in serious negotiations to determine a political roadmap for Afghanistan's future that leads to a just and durable settlement.”

(With inputs from agencies)