The Afghan High Peace Council has said that Pakistan has a crucial role to play in the ‘difficult-to-achieve’ peace with the Taliban militia.

“The Afghan High Peace Council considers Pakistan’s role as extremely important to put an end to the armed struggle in Afghanistan,” Abdul Hakim Mujahid, a senior member of the council, told The Express Tribune by the phone from Kabul.

Mujahid’s remarks came days after Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Javed Ludin said that Kabul could pursue the peace process without Pakistan’s help. He also alleged that those Taliban figures who want to reconcile were either killed or arrested in Pakistan.

A day later, Afghan presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi came up with harsher statement, accusing Islamabad of ‘sabotaging’ the peace efforts.Mujahid, however, said that Pakistan could help restore normalcy in his war-ravaged country. At the same time he admitted strain in the bilateral relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

President Hamid Karzai had set up the 70-member High Peace Council and tasked it with making peace with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.Mujahid, however, denied that the council was taking dictations from the government. He referred to a recent statement from the council’s spokesman who described the Afghan deputy foreign minister’s remarks about Pakistan as his personal views.

The Express Tribune learnt on Sunday that diplomatic efforts are underway to lower tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and that some progress is possible in the coming days.