Afghan officials arrive for talks on peace efforts

An Afghan official says top security officials are in Pakistan for talks on reviving the peace process with the Taliban. Feroz Bashari, a government spokesman, says National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, intelligence chief Masoum Stanikzai and Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak traveled to Pakistan Tuesday for talks with senior officials.
Pakistan is believed to have influence over the Taliban, whose senior leadership is based in the country. Pakistan's army chief visited the Afghan capital earlier this month, where he met with senior Afghan and US officials. The Taliban observed a cease-fire over the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday last weekend but rejected the government's request for an extension.