ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said on Saturday that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar would visit Russia next week for holding talks on bilateral relations and the regional situation.

Speaking in Radio Pakistan’s programme Naey Ufaq, he said that Pakistan was actively engaged with other countries diplomatically with respect to the emerging situation in Afghanistan.

He said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would arrive in Qatar on Monday. The on-going process of reconciliation in Afghanistan would come under discussion during the visit, he added.

The spokesman said during her recent visit to Kabul the foreign minister had exchanged views with the Afghan leadership to strengthen the process of reconciliation and dialogue.

In reply to a question, Mr Basit said that America and the Taliban were reportedly holding talks in Qatar and Pakistan was being informed about the talks through diplomatic sources.

He said the Pak-America cooperation on terrorism and the Afghan issue was at a standstill and the engagement with the US would not be restored until parliament prepared policy directions.—APP