WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama supports President Ashraf Ghani in a reported dispute between the Afghan leader and Abdullah Abdullah, his chief executive, the US media reported on Saturday.

The reported dispute also figured at a State Department news briefing on Friday afternoon when a journalist asked for comments on a recent videoconference between President Obama and Afghan leaders.

The journalist quoted media reports as claiming that President Obama asked Afghan CEO Abdullah not to interfere with the Afghan president’s constitutional powers.

“We have to protect sensitive information,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby while explaining to the journalist why he could not disclose details of this conversation.

“The president regularly speaks with President Ghani and with Chief Executive Abdullah to discuss security, governance, other bilateral and regional issues,” he said.

Media reports claimed that there were serious differences between President Ghani and Mr Abdullah over the Afghan reconciliation process. Mr Abdullah, the reports claimed, was particularly upset about President Ghani’s decision to participate in the next round of talks in Islamabad.

He wanted this meeting to be held in Kabul, like an earlier meeting.A recent White House statement shows that President Obama supports Mr Ghani on this issue and endorses his policy of “working with Afghanistan’s neighbours to deepen regional cooperation and advance the reconciliation process with the Taliban.”

At the State Department briefing, the journalist asked the briefer if the United States had complained to the Afghan CEO that he was interfering with President Ghani’s constitutional duties. “I’m not going to read out details from the President’s call,” said Mr Kirby, but his response did spell out US concerns about the nature of dispute between the two Afghan leaders.

“We were pleased to see the recent agreement on the Afghan government’s appointment of a new attorney general, a new minister of the interior, and new leadership of the High Peace Council,” Mr Kirby said.

The council plays a key role in promoting reconciliation with the Taliban insurgents, including those hiding in the bordering areas of Pakistan.

“We continue to support and welcome cooperation between President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah in advancing the National Unity Government’s reform agenda to bring security and stability to the Afghan people,” Mr Kirby said.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2016