Pakistani Premier To Meet Taliban Leaders Soon

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon meet with leaders of the Taliban in an attempt to push forward an otherwise sluggish peace process in war-ravaged Afghanistan, his adviser on political affairs said Wednesday.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet the Taliban leaders soon for the peaceful resolution of the Afghan crisis and the Afghan government has also shown its consent in this regard," Naeem ul Haq was quoted as saying by state-run Radio Pakistan while addressing a conference in the capital, Islamabad.

Haq said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to Pakistan late last month had helped build confidence between the two neighbors.

The Afghan president's visit -- the third since 2014 -- came days after Islamabad hosted several Afghan leaders at the tourist resort of Bhurban to discuss ways to end the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, which has entered its 18th year.