Pakistan’s prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, will travel to Qatar next week for talks with leaders there on a peace deal to end the Taliban’s 10-year war in Afghanistan.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told RFE/RL’s Mashaal Radio that Gilani’s visit will involve both bilateral talks as well as a broader discussion on Afghanistan.

The trip comes several days after Pakistan’s foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, returned from talks in Afghanistan saying her country was ready to push the Taliban and other insurgent groups into peace talks.

Pakistan has been accused of hampering peace efforts in Afghanistan by assisting militants from the Taliban and Haqqani network.

The Afghan Taliban last month announced it was establishing a political office in Qatar, in a move seen as progress toward a peace deal.

With agency reports

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