海角大神

Afghan President聽Hamid聽Karzai聽on Monday stressed the need for聽Pakistan's help in arranging peace talks with the聽Taliban聽in a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister聽Nawaz Sharif聽who assured him of his support.

Pakistan聽backed the聽Taliban's rise to power in聽Afghanistan聽in the mid-1990s and is seen as a crucial gatekeeper in attempts by the US and Afghan governments to contact insurgent leaders who fled to聽Pakistan聽after the group's 2001 ouster.

But聽Afghanistan聽has long accused聽Pakistan聽of playing a double game in the 12-year-old war, saying its neighbor, facing a聽Taliban聽insurgency of its own, makes pronouncements about peace, but allows elements of its military to play a spoiling role.聽

Pakistan聽is keen to limit the influence of its old rival,聽India, in聽Afghanistan.

Karzai, who has close ties with聽India, said he had "primarily and with emphasis" asked the Pakistanis to help with reconciliation as most foreign troops prepare to leave Afghanistan聽by the end of next year.

He wants聽Pakistan聽to help arrange contacts between the聽Taliban聽and the聽Afghan High Peace Council, the government body tasked with reconciliation, or release high-ranking聽Taliban聽prisoners who might act as interlocutors.

Sharif, who appeared with聽Karzai聽to deliver statements after their talks in the Pakistani capital, did not specifically address those requests.

It is unclear whether the Afghan聽Taliban, in power from 1996 and 2001, will have a role in the next government.

The聽Taliban, fighting to expel foreign forces and impose Islamist rule, have refused to talk to聽Karzai, accusing him of being an American puppet.

"For the two countries, the primary concern is lack of security for their citizens and the continued menace of terrorism," said聽Karzai. "It is this area that needs to have primary and focused attention from both governments."

Sharif assured him of support and closed his address by listing economic deals the two countries had struck.

"Pakistan聽[has] strong and sincere support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. We fully agreed that this process has to be inclusive, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led," Sharif said.

The聽Taliban聽in June set up an office in聽Doha, touted as a conduit for peace talks with the聽United States, but the office infuriated聽Karzai聽the day it opened by displaying a flag bearing symbols from the time the聽Taliban聽ruled聽Afghanistan.

Karzai聽accused the聽Taliban聽of running an embassy rather than an office. The office has now closed.

Karzai聽has made 19 trips to聽Pakistan聽but this was his first meeting with Sharif since Sharif's landslide election win in May.

An Afghan-based analyst said people there might be disappointed that聽Karzai聽and Sharif had not shown more solidarity on the question of the聽Taliban聽insurgency.

"The two leaders were not on the same page," said Barhan Osman of the聽Afghanistan Analysts Network think-tank.

"One was talking about the peace process as the top issue and one was talking about trade as the top issue ... it was not what the Afghans were looking for."

Even if Sharif wanted to persuade the聽Taliban聽to talk to聽Karzai, it was unclear how much influence he had, Osman said.

Security and foreign policy in聽Pakistan聽is overseen by the military. Ever since Muslim Pakistan聽was carved out of British-ruled聽India聽in 1947, the military has seen聽India聽as Pakistan's greatest threat.

(Reporting By Katharine Houreld; Editing by Nick Macfie and Robert Birsel)