Pakistan FM meets Karzai

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STORY: Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday (February 1) during a one-day visit to Kabul.

The meeting was aimed at repairing strained diplomatic ties with Afghanistan's government, and to discuss possible peace talks with the Taliban.

Khar's trip marked the first high-level meetings between officials from the countries in months.

Pakistan is seen as critical to U.S. efforts to stabilise Afghanistan before foreign combat troops leave in 2014.

Despite the presence of about 100,000 foreign troops, violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, according to the United Nations.