Afghanistan, Pakistan upgrade peace efforts

Afghanistan and Pakistan have upgraded a joint commission for peace in a bid to end Afghanistan's near-decade old insurgency, and have the support of the US for the move, leaders of the two countries said yesterday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said he and former Afghan President and Peace Council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani would lead talks involving the military and intelligence chiefs from both sides of the border for the first time.
"Today's visit, I believe has been one of the most historical and unprecedented meetings, because all the stakeholders were with us," Gilani said, at a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The original commission was set up in January.
Pakistan, which backed the Taliban government that ruled Afghanistan during the 1990s, will be crucial to any attempts to stabilize its western neighbor.
Its intelligence services are still believed to have close links with many of the insurgent groups they funded and supported during the war against the Soviet Union and beyond, including the Taliban leadership which is based in Quetta.
Many lower level insurgents also find safe haven in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions.
Karzai said he had discussed the move with US counterpart Barack Obama during a phone call last week, and the upgraded commission had the full backing of the United States.
"We welcome the participation of the US in this tripartite arrangement...We have recently seen more interest by the US in the peace process," he told the news conference.
But both Gilani and Karzai were keen to emphasize that the peace process would remain "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned."