He expressed these views during a meeting with a US delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu also accompanied Sherman who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan.

Foreign Secretary Suhail Mahmood senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present in the meeting during which bilateral relations as well as the matters relating to Afghanistan and regional peace were discussed.

The US Secretary of State expressed grief over loss of lives caused by the earthquake in Balochistan on Thursday.

In a Twitter message, she had extended condolences to Pakistanis who were mourning loss of lives.

She also appreciated Pakistan’s assistance for the evacuation of American and other nationals from Afghanistan and the continued efforts for peace in the region.

In a tweet, Sherman said: "I met today with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss Afghanistan’s future and the important and long-standing US-Pakistan relationship. We look forward to continuing to address pressing regional and global challenges."

Earlier, the US deputy secretary of state met National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf who pressed on the need for the global community to engage with the interim government in Afghanistan.