Ashraf discussed matters of mutual interest with Dr Rassoul.
The Prime Minister termed the recent visit of Salahuddin Rabbani, Chairman of the High Peace Council, to Islamabad successful. He said that the Council made important contributions and engaged positively with their Pakistani interlocutors.
The prime minister said that both Afghanistan and Pakistan faced a common challenge of terrorism and drug trafficking. He stressed that both the countries needed to work closely to confront these challenges.
The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the agreement between the two countries to hold an Ulema conference would contribute positively towards consolidating relations between the two countries.
The Afghan Foreign Minister said that the visit of High Peace Council was successful and both the governments were now talking to find solutions. He though stressed that the time had come to show results.
Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Umer Daudzai, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Defence Syed Naveed Qamar and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
Pakistan agrees release of more Taliban prisoners
Pakistan on Friday agreed to operationalise the joint commission on release of prisoners which would see another batch of Taliban prisoners being handed over to Afghanistan in a bid to facilitate peace talks between insurgents and the Afghan government, a joint foreign ministry statement said.
The announcement came after talks in Islamabad between Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and the visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul. The Joint Commission to address the prisoners issue will also be opperationalised as announced during the visit of President Karzai to Islamabad in June 2011.
The number of prisoners to be released was not specified but is not thought to include the Taliban's former deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was captured in 2010.
A senior Pakistani security official earlier told AFP that "no decision" had been taken on his release.
The joint statement said both sides agreed the "release of more prisoners, facilitating contacts and urging the Taliban to renounce ties to al Qaeda".
It was the second high-level delegation to visit Pakistan this month to press for the release of Taliban prisoners in a bid to kickstart peace efforts. Talks two weeks ago between Pakistan and Afghanistan's High Peace Council resulted in the release of nine Taliban.
Afghan officials believe senior Taliban leaders held in Pakistan could help bring militants to the negotiating table, if released from jail, to end over a decade of war ahead of the 2014 pull-out of US-led NATO troops.
"I hope that we will continue to implement other concrete measures in a timely manner and push the peace process forward... so that all those who can help advance the peace process go free," Rassoul told reporters after talks with his Pakistani counterpart.
No decision on Baradar as more Taliban released
An Afghan official had told AFP ahead of the meetings that Rassoul would ask for the release of further Taliban detainees, including Baradar. But a senior Pakistani security official told AFP that "no decision" had so far been taken on whether to release him.
"We have to ascertain how important he can be. Pakistan believes Baradar may not be enjoying the same clout he used to have before being arrested in Karachi two years ago," the official said.
The Taliban, leading an 11-year insurgency since the 2001 US-led invasion, has welcomed the releases, but refuses to negotiate directly with Kabul, calling the government of President Hamid Karzai a US puppet.
Preliminary contacts between the US and the Taliban in Doha were broken off in March when the militants failed to secure the release of five of their comrades held at the Guantanamo Bay prison on the US base in Cuba.
Support from Pakistan, which backed the 1996-2001 Taliban regime in Kabul, is seen as crucial to peace in Afghanistan after the departure of NATO forces.
The joint statement said the two sides also discussed the issue of cross border incursions and shelling and agreed to have an institutionalised mechanism to address this issue.
Afghanistan and Pakistan blame each other for a number of recent cross-border attacks that have killed dozens of people.
Afghanistan shares a disputed and unmarked 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) border with Pakistan, and Taliban and other al Qaeda-linked militants have carved out strongholds on either side.
Security, trade cooperation to be enhanced
In addition to the agreement to operationalise the joint commission on release of prisoners, both sides agreed to hold the Ulema Conference in Kabul and an institutionalised mechanism to address cross-border shelling.
Pakistan and Afghanistan further agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of security‚ development‚ transit‚ trade‚ economic and investment linkages‚ infrastructure and energy connectivity and people to people contacts.
A joint statement issued after talks between Foreign Ministers of the two countries in Islamabad on Friday said they agreed to initiate negotiations for signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement.
The two countries also reaffirmed commitment to jointly overcome the common challenges of terrorism and extremism.
The two sides discussed the issue of cross border incursions and shelling and agreed to have an institutionalised mechanism to address the issue.
Pakistan and Afghanistan also agreed to enter into a bilateral Visa Abolition Agreement for holders of diplomatic passports to facilitate visa free travel for the diplomats of the two countries.
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Were released,now being released,thinking that it is essential part of peace process but as have seen,releasing does not fruit.
insurgency is continued,peace of our cities has been destroyed,lives of innocent people being taken,specially in Karachi on daily bases.
American are very happy,they are also indispensable part of peace process,efforts are moving to the set destination but they are not ready to release a woman, heared they are going from Afghanistan in 2014,now hear thay are not withdrawal,it mean scheduled is not dependable.
They are waiting posive response,putting conditions before crucial decision making authority,not come to the negotiating table,they are also seeking releasing of C/bay prisoners to home.
It is an admitted fact that the ball is in the American court,as looks they are not in mood to hit the ball to the direction leading to favoure of high peace council.
@KHAWAJA UMER FAROOQ: No matter what, the world will not allow the Taliban to rule Afghanistan and repress the non-Pastuns and minorities, again. That is why the U.S. plans to maintain a minimum presence in Afghanistan after 2014. The 1996-2001 gravy train is over. Learn to live with Mullah Umar not being the Ameer ul Momineen of Afghanistan.
Since "Sovereign" (lol) Afghan government is requesting for this release. Pakistan should oblige and send all of the Taliban to Afghanistan. Taliban need some brushing up of skills and adjustment time to get prepared for their "Scheduled take over" of Afghanistan after US withdrawal. US (I meant Afghans) are looking to talk (bribe) and offer them a power sharing deal so they can all loot Afghans together. However I doubt that Taliban would accept anything less than 100% of the loot. Taliban also need money to survive, and after US withdrawal their revenue source from collecting "protection money" to let trucks with US equipment (to be used against them) go through is to decline. They need alternate and more White Collar ways to generate revenue. There is a slim possibility though, that Taliban may accept just half of the 900 million dollar loot from Kabul Bank by Karzai and co. (in good faith and confidence building measure) and agree for a larger share for future loots.
It is a severe blunder Pakistani Govt. is doing, these guys including Afghan cannot be trusted at all.
@Arian: Can Karzai tell us, how many Pakistanis were killed by Afghan proxies. What guarantees we have from Karzai that the freed Taliban's are not going to turn back and start killing innocent Pakistanis again.
@Arian (the indian guy) Self contradictory you are...they would not have released it if they were their proxies.
According to media news Pakistan has agreed to release several top Taliban prisoners including former Taliban shura member Mullah Brother who was arrested two years ago. Pakistan decision comes after recent visit of high ranking Afghan delegation in Pakistan. UNO would also release names of several top Taliban high ranking officials from UNO sanctions list. Now it seem true that reconciliation efforts are going on before withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan next year. Reconciliation efforts started two years ago and several secret meetings held in some other countries also. Decade of Afghan war proves that dialogue is last solution of every war. French forces has already ended their ten years long journey in Afghanistan and Britain also plan to reduce its forces before NATO complete withdrawal. French forces lost their eighty eight comrades during combat mission in Afghanistan and Britain lost 433. Although security of sensitive areas like Helmond, Lushker Gah and Kapisa has handed over to Afghan forces but things are going bad to worse everywhere. Recent assessment shows grim pictures of Afghan decade long war and observers claims that after withdrawal of NATO forces inexperienced and lack of weapon Afghan forces are not able to control the situation. Tension is also going high between Afghan and Allied forces due to differences in social and cultural values. 465 allied forces lost their lives in the hands of own Afghan trained recruits or security personnel’s during so called green and blue attacks alone this year. Totalhuman, economic, social, and political cost of wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan have already reached to estimated four trillion dollars and human cost is half million lives. At the time when major European economies and US itself passing through worse economic crises and rate of poverty and un employment is raising even in major economies questions are raising about high war expenditures in different countries. Now instead of war dialogues would decide future of Afghanistan which is also good for Afghan people.
Can the PM do us a favor and tell us why these Pakistani proxies were arrested in the first place and how many Afghans they killed.
Can the PM do us a favour and tell us that these Afghani Taliban being released are responsible for killing how many Pakistanis.