Report: Karzai seeks Mullah Omar's return

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday he would guarantee the safety of Mullah Omar if the Afghan Taliban leader returned home.

"Through Pakistan television channel Geo, I propose (Mullah Omar) to get back to Afghanistan as I will be wholly solely responsible for his security and I shall be answerable to the whole of the world on his behalf," Karzai was quoted as saying during an interview.

The report said Karzai also invited the Taliban leader to join him in the political process of Afghanistan, Geo TV said.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported Karzai as saying he had sought Saudi help for peace talks with the Taliban leadership, which are seen as a solution to the spreading militant violence in Afghanistan.

Karzai said his representatives were sent to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to restart the peace talks, the Financial Times said.

The report quoted a person familiar with the talks that the Saudis had been involved since July, the first time they were contacted by Taliban clerics in Pakistan.