Afghan security adviser in Pakistan for anti-terror talks

Islamabad, June 26 (IANS) Afghanistan's top security adviser Thursday arrived in Islamabad for talks with Pakistani leaders on anti-terror cooperation and peace efforts, officials said.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghanistan's national security adviser, is leading a delegation of senior officials from the foreign, interior, defence ministries and intelligence agency, Xinhua reported.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai told Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over phone last week that his team would carry a letter that would seek a "roadmap" for the future bilateral cooperation against terrorism.

The foreign ministry in Islamabad said Spanta would hold delegation-level talks with Pakistan's Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, which will be attended by senior security officials from both sides.

"The discussions will focus on ensuring deeper bilateral security cooperation. The two sides will discuss ways of strengthening regular contact between the security authorities of the two countries," the foreign ministry said in a statement late Wednesday.

"The Afghan adviser could also call for Pakistan's help to encourage the Afghan Taliban leaders to join the peace process," Afghan sources said.

Karzai decided to send his top aide for follow-up discussions after Nawaz Sharif's special envoy Mehmood Khan Achakzai met him in Kabul last week and sought Kabul's cooperation to tighten security along the border to stop fleeing militants from entering Afghanistan.