US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken dialed General Qamar Javad Bajwa, Pakistan Army chief, and discussed impending Western troop withdrawal plan from Afghanistan, reported the Express Tribune.

The call came hours before US President Joe Biden officially made an announcement, wrapping up the two-decade-long military involvement in Afghanistan. During the call, Bajwa called for “mutual consensus.”

Biden has announced withdrawing the remaining US troops by 11 September, a day that coincides with the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack, this year. 

"During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including latest developments in (the) Afghan peace process and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed,” a release from the ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan army, said. 

Bajwa also reiterated support for the “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace process. 

According to the statement issued by the ISPR, Blinken acknowledged Pakistan’s “continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region and pledged to further enhance bilateral relations between both the countries.”

For years, Pakistan has been asking for a political solution in Afghanistan. In the last two decades, it maintained its covert support to the Afghan insurgent group, the Taliban. The country has maintained its demands of responsible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.