US, Pak discuss security, dialogue with militants

US envoy to Pakistan Richard Olson today met Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and discussed regional security issues and the government's peace initiative with militant groups including the Taliban.
Khan said Pakistan intends to further its relations with the US based on transparency, mutual respect and understanding.
The minister shared the efforts that his ministry was carrying out to counter militancy and terrorism in Pakistan.
Various aspects of the strategic dialogue with special reference to the working group on counter terrorism were also discussed in the meeting, a press statement here said.
"Different aspects of fresh peace initiative launched by the government of Pakistan to establish durable peace in the region with special reference to the All Party Conference (APC) resolution were also discussed in the meeting," state-run APP news agency said.

The APC called by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recently, had strongly backed his plans to hold talks with the Pakistani Taliban to end the cycle of violence in the country.

The plans received a jolt when a major general of the Pakistan Army was killed on Sunday by the Taliban in a targeted IED blast.
Meanwhile, the minister said any kind of institutional support like counter terrorism training programmes, intelligences sharing and infrastructural support is vital and crucial for capacity building of the civil armed forces.
The ambassador said Pakistan can benefit from the experience of the US in strengthening its security and offered all kind of institutional support in this respect.

He also invited the federal minister to chair the meeting of strategic dialogue likely to be held in US next month.