Pakistan Condemns Afghan Taliban; Ghani: Let Taliban Be Part of Peace Talks; India Rejects U.S. Religious Freedom Report

On Thursday, Pakistani foreign ministry spokeswoman, Tasneem Aslam, in her weekly press conference in Islamabad condemned the Taliban’s “spike in violence” in its annual spring offensive in Afghanistan (VOA, ET). Aslam said: “[Pakistan] would like to see a national reconciliation process in Afghanistan.” Voice of America reports that Pakistani officials have been in secret contact with Taliban leaders urging them to participate in peace talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Pakistan, which has been accused of providing support for the Taliban’s past spring offensives, is considered a wild-card factor in any potential Afghan peace talks with the Taliban.