Pakistani Foreign Minister arrives in Afghanistan

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday, a private local television channel reported. "Hina Rabbani the Foreign Minister of Pakistan arrived in the capital city of Kabul Wednesday morning to talk with Afghan officials," Tolo broadcast in its morning news bulletin. It is the first visit of Hina Rabbani as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan to Afghanistan during which she would hold meetings with her Afghan counterpart Zalmai Rasoul and President Hamid Karzai, according to officials. Her talks with Afghan officials would focus on improving Islamabad-Kabul relations and peace talks with Taliban. The relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been strained since the killing of Afghan peace chief negotiator Burhanudin Rabbani in September 2011. Rabbani who headed the government-backed peace body -- the High Council for Peace was killed when a suicide bomber disguised to be Taliban peace emissary blew himself up in Rabbani's Kabul house killing him on the spot. Afghan government in a sharp reaction blamed Pakistan for supporting Taliban and suspended peace talks with the Taliban outfit, a claim rejected by both Taliban and Islamabad as baseless. The visit of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani is taking place amid reports that Afghan and Pakistani governments have been trying to hold talks with Taliban in Saudi Arabia, while Taliban outfit, according to media reports would open its office in Qatar to facilitate dialogue.