Pakistan to facilitate talks between Afghan government and Taliban

A top Pakistani official said Sunday that Islamabad would "facilitate" peace talks between President Hamid Karzai's administration and the Taliban, dpa reported. Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's national security and foreign affairs adviser, arrived in Kabul on Sunday to discuss the stalled peace process and extend a formal invitation to Karzai to visit Pakistan. "We have some contacts with the Taliban because of the past, but we don't control them," Aziz said at a press conference with the Afghan foreign minister. "We will not initiate or impose any solution nor make any proposal. We only facilitate the inter-dialogue," he said. Aziz's visit - the first by a Pakistani official since a new government was formed after May elections - was planned after a barrage of fresh allegations by Afghan officials about Islamabad's complicity in militancy. He said that Pakistan has played a role in persuading some factions to come together. "That is all that we can do. We are hopeful, but ultimately it's for the Afghans - we cannot guarantee success," he said. Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul said that he hopes to open a new chapter of "honest relation" with the new government of Pakistan.