Revival of peace process planned

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 11 (UPI) -- President Hamid Karzai was back in Afghanistan Thursday after a visit to Pakistan that produced plans to revive the grand jirga process, observers say.

The grand jirga process was initiated in 2007 as an attempt to narrow differences between Afghanistan and Pakistan and delineate the role of tribes straddling the border region, Pakistan's Dawn news reported Thursday.

In addition to renewing the jirga process, diplomatic sources say Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to devise an accord similar to Europe's Marshall Plan.

"The two countries need to speak the same language at international forums because both are suffering from the malaise caused by the same mindset of militancy and extremism," said Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

Zardari and Karzai also agreed during the two-days of talks that their foreign ministers should meet on a regular basis.