ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Peace Council delegation led by Salahuddin Rabbani met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday to discuss the peace process in the neighbouring war-torn country.

The premier’s adviser on national security and foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and the prime minister’s special assistant on foreign affairs, Tariq Fatemi, took part in the meeting during which they discussed the security situation in the region, cooperation on security and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

The prime minister said a stable Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan, adding that he would continue to cooperate with the Afghan side to establish peace in the region.

Sharif told the Afghan delegation: “Pakistan has always supported a peaceful, stable and united Afghanistan and... Pakistan is playing a constructive and positive role to facilitate an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process,”according to a statement released by his office.

The Afghan delegation is also scheduled to meet Taliban’s former number two commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was released in September after being held at an undisclosed location inside Pakistan.

Baradar is seen by Kabul as the key to restarting peace talks with the Afghan Taliban.

Karzai formed the Afghan High Peace Council in 2010 to pursue a negotiated peace with the Taliban, who have been leading an insurgency since being ousted from power in 2001.