PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to meet Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris to discuss the outstanding bilateral issues and measures to resolve them.

Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali, who recently returned from Afghanistan after meeting the top political leadership of the neighbouring country, announced that the two leaders will meet in Paris.

The ANP chief was part of the delegation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's top political leadership which went to Kabul on a two-day visit in an attempt to promote peace in the region.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's (PkMAP) Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Qaumi Watan Party's (QWP) Aftab Sherpao were also part of the delegation, which went there to strengthen Pak-Afghan relations.

While talking to Dawn.com, Asfandyar Wali said that Afghan government is now open for talks and that leadership of both the countries should work for resolving the outstanding issues.

The ANP chief conveyed the message of Afghan officials saying “they are ready for talks but want Pakistan to admit and respect their sovereignty”.

Asfandyar said earlier it was scheduled that Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah will attend the climate change summit in Paris.

But after recent development in bilateral ties it was decided that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will attend the conference, where he will meet Pakistani premier to resolve the outstanding bilateral issues.

Pakistan hosted a meeting between the Afghan Government and Afghan Taliban representatives in Murree on July 7, 2015, along with the representatives from China and USA.

The participants were duly mandated by their respective leadership and expressed their collective desire to bring peace to Afghanistan and the region.

The second round of the talks, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on July 31, 2015, was postponed in view of the reports regarding the death of Mulla Omar and the leadership crisis among Taliban.

Since then, Pakistan has time and again reaffirmed his commitment to an Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process claiming that it is looking towards Afghanistan government to show interest in this regard.