Aamir Latif
09 December 2015•Update: 09 December 2015
KARACHI, Pakistan
Hours after participants of the fifth "Heart of Asia" conference agreed to work on restoring stalled peace talks in Afghanistan, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani -- in Islamabad for the meeting -- met with Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, to discuss parameters of the proposed talks.
According to an official statement issued by the Pakistani army’s media wing, the meeting focused on regional security "with particular reference to the security situation and peace process in Afghanistan".
A senior military official told Anadolu Agency that the Afghan president and Pakistani army chief had discussed means of bringing the Taliban back to the negotiating table.
The Taliban suspended peace talks in July after news of the death of group leader Mullah Omar was confirmed, leading to a bitter power struggle within the group’s ranks.
The suspension of talks was followed by a series of Taliban attacks in different parts of the war-torn country.
Kabul puts blame for the attacks on Islamabad, which is believed to have a degree of influence on the Taliban leadership.
Ghani, while emphasizing the need to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries, vowed to work together to eliminate the common threat of terrorism.
He also acknowledged successes achieved by Pakistan in the "war against terror", the army statement read.
"General Raheel Sharif assured continued support to the Afghan president for intelligence sharing, operational coordination and the reconciliation process for peace and stability in Afghanistan," it added.
"We are committed to working together with Afghanistan on the basis of mutual interest and respect. We should pursue a strategic relationship that is enduring and enhances the security and concomitant prosperity of both brotherly countries," Sharif was quoted as saying in the statement.
While acknowledging the need to undertake confidence-building measures in order to engender trust, both leaders agreed to further enhance mutual relations by enhancing ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan security cooperation, the statement concluded.
