Officials Say Afghan Peace Council Set To Visit Islamabad

Afghan National Consultative Peace Jirga Deputy Qeyamudin Kashaf (left) and Afghan Education Minister Farooq Wardak talk about the establishment of the High Council of Peace in June.

Afghan officials say the country's peace council will visit Pakistan this week to discuss a diplomatic solution to the Taliban presence in the two neighboring countries.

Ataullah Ludin, deputy chairman of the 70-member High Peace Council, says the delegation will arrive on January 4 and meet with Pakistan's president, prime minister, and senior officials for talks focused on engagement with the Taliban.

Ludin said the visit comes because Pakistan and Afghanistan are both "victims of terrorism" so they "need to work together to solve those problems."

Afghanistan's peace council formed in October 2010, a top goal being diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, but it has not yet made significant progress.

compiled from agency reports