Obama, Karzai discuss Afghan reconciliation with Taliban

Washington, Feb 21 (ANI): US President Barack Obama has spoken to Afghan President Hamid Karzai over ways to reconcile with same elements of the Taliban, including his last week's meeting with Pakistani and Iranian leaders.

The Dawn quoted the White House as saying that both leaders discussed about the regional support for the reconciliation in Afghanistan.

The conversation follows a three-day summit in Islamabad between Karzai, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The call also followed Karzai's assertion last week that the US, the Afghan government and the Taliban had held three-way talks aimed at moving toward a political settlement of the war.

Karzai on Saturday met with a Taliban-linked Pakistani cleric, Maulana Samiul Haq, in an effort to secure his help in bringing the militant movement's leadership into peace negotiations. (ANI)