KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday saluted Pakistan’s cooperation as Kabul seeks to lay the groundwork for peace with Taliban insurgents, the latest sign of improving ties between the two countries.

Afghanistan “appreciates Pakistan’s recent efforts in paving the ground for peace and reconciliation”, Mr Ghani said in a statement. “We welcome the recent position Pakistan has taken in pronouncing Afghanistan’s enemy as Pakistan’s.”

Also read: Pakistan supports Afghan reconciliation

He cited two major recent attacks as helping to bring the countries closer together — one in Yahya Khel in Afghanistan in November that left nearly 50 people dead, and the Taliban massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar in December that killed 153, mostly children.

Mr Ghani’s statement came after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said on Thursday that relations between the two countries had never been better.

“I think Afghanistan and Pakistan, working in close hands and in close cooperation, it will do wonders for cooperation in the field of counterterrorism,” Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said as he met top US diplomat John Kerry in Washington. “Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have never been better, and that is a very, very positive development.”

President Ghani also spoke after Taliban ‘commanders’ said the militants would soon restart contacts with US officials in Qatar to try to get peace talks on track after more than 13 years of war in Afghanistan.

The US and the Taliban’s main spokesman later denied the claims, however.

There have been several attempts at starting dialogue in recent years between the Taliban, Kabul and the United States — the Afghan government’s chief supporter — but with little success.

Afghan president refers to recent moves to pave ground for reconciliation in his country

Last year’s election of Mr Ghani, who pledged to make peace talks a priority, as well as supportive signals from Pakistan, which has long held significant influence with the Taliban, have however boosted hopes for possible dialogue.

“Ghani has done good work to promote a dialogue for peace,” one Taliban leader said. Another said his recent talks with tribal chiefs had led to progress.

Mr Ghani, however, said in his statement that “there are obviously elements opposing the peace process by spreading false information to cause public confusion and anxiety”.

Published in Dawn February 21th , 2015

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