Pakistan says US troop withdrawal 'step forward' in Afghan peace effort

Pakistan on Saturday welcomed President Donald Trump's decision to slash US troop numbers in Afghanistan, calling it a step towards peace in the war-torn nation.The decision to pull around half of the 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan has stunned and dismayed diplomats and officials in Kabul, and comes amid a renewed push for talks with the Taliban to end the 17-year war.Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the move was "a step forward" in the peace effort.