ISLAMABAD – PTI Chief Imran Khan has said that there is no other optionexcept to initiate dialogue between the warring sides in Afghanistan,” in atelephonic conversation with Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan Dr OmarZakhilwal on Friday.

“A peaceful Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan and everyeffort should be made to achieve a lasting peace,” he said.

The Afghan envoy thanked the PTI chief for endorsing Ghani’s policy to endthe conflict in the war-torn country.

Khan’s remarks came two days after Ashraf Ghani offered recognition of theTaliban as a legitimate political group as part of a proposed politicalprocess that he said could lead to talks aimed at ending more than 16 yearsof war.

The offer, made at the start of an international conference aimed atcreating a platform for peace talks, adds to a series of signals from boththe Western-backed government and the Taliban suggesting a greaterwillingness to consider dialogue.

Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners as part of a range ofoptions including new elections, involving the militants, and aconstitutional review as part of a pact with the Taliban to end a conflictthat last year alone killed or wounded more than 10,000 Afghan civilians.

“We are making this offer without preconditions in order to lead to a peaceagreement,” Ghani said in opening remarks to the conference attended byofficials from around 25 countries involved in the so-called Kabul Process.

“The Taliban are expected to give input to the peace-making process, thegoal of which is to draw the Taliban, as an organisation, to peace talks,”he said, adding that he would not“pre-judge” any group seeking peace.