A delegation of Afghanistan's High Council for Peace, set up in September last year by the Karzai government to hold talks with Taliban-led insurgents in the hope of a negotiated end to the conflict, will visit Pakistan this week.
The delegation will be led by its chairman and former Afghanistan President Burhanuddin Rabbani. This was confirmed here last week by Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit. While sidestepping a question on whether the visit was confirmation that Afghanistan officially wanted Pakistan to play a role in the negotiations, he reiterated that Islamabad would always support an Afghanistan-led process towards reconciliation and reintegration.
Stating that this would be the first visit of the Council to Pakistan since it was set up, he added: “We are looking forward to intensive discussions with the delegation and Prof. Rabbani. Pakistan will continue to support and help in whatever way the Afghanistan government wants us to help.”
Prof. Rabbani is expected to hold discussions with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani during the three-day visit of the delegation to Pakistan. The visit comes amid clear indications that earlier efforts to open channels of communication with the Taliban had come to naught.
Pakistan is considered crucial to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan as many Taliban leaders are believed to be holed up in the tribal areas
