Afghan President Karzai arrives Islamabad on one-day tour

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew into Islamabad on Monday for key talks with Pakistan's newly elected government, searching for communication with Taliban insurgents to end 12 years of war.

Karzai accompanied by a delegation of Afghan high officials arrived at an air force base near Islamabad shortly before 10:00 am (0500 GMT) where Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz received him. A smartly turned out Pak army contingent presented 21-gun salute to the Afghan president and children attired in tradition dress presented him bouquet.

President Hamid Karzai during his one-day visit will be meeting President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other high officials here.

It is Karzai's first visit to Islamabad in 18 months and signals a desire by both countries to overcome distrust and hostility as 87,000 NATO combat troops prepare to leave Afghanistan next year.

Monday's talks will be Karzai's first with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who took office in June after winning elections.

"The first item with Pakistan will be the peace negotiations," Karzai told a news conference in Kabul on Saturday. He praised Pak PM Sharif for having "all the right intentions for stability and peace", but conceded that previous visits had not achieved the goal of improving security in Afghanistan.

Afghan government peace negotiators, who will accompany Karzai, have called for the release of the most senior Taliban figure detained in Pakistan, former deputy leader Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Pakistan released 26 Taliban prisoners late last year, including the militants' former justice minister Nooruddin Turabi.