Sharif to discuss peace with Karzai during Afghanistan visit

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Kabul on Saturday to discuss bilateral issues and regional situation with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the Foreign Office said on Friday.

Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said the agenda of the visit would cover a broad spectrum of bilateral relations, peace and reconciliation process and regional cooperation.

Xinhua quoted Chaudhry, as saying that Pakistan attaches high importance to its relations with Afghanistan and Sharif will hold wide-ranging talks with President Karzai and members of the High Peace Council to discuss bilateral ties and peace process following the pullout of NATO troops.

A joint statement will be issued, he added.

It will be Sharif's first visit to Afghanistan since he took the office in May.

The two leaders met in London last month at the fourth trilateral meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

President Karzai visited Pakistan in August and Pakistan later freed senior Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on his request to help in the peace process.

Pakistan also freed three senior Afghan Taliban leaders this week on a request from the peace council's chairman, Salahuddin Rabbani, who visited Islamabad this month.

Islamabad has so far freed nearly 50 Afghan Taliban detainees on the request from the Karzai administration to facilitate the peace process.

The Taliban have so far refused to talk to Karzai government.