US, UK trying for a patch up between Kabul and Islamabad

Perturbed over rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, the United States and UK are trying hard for a patch up between the two neighbours.
They believe that the continuation of hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan could badly harm the Washington’s exit strategy.
US Secretary of State John Kerry recently came to Kabul on an unannounced visit and discussed the renewed tensions between Islamabad and Kabul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other senior officials.
Kerry is said to have also spoken to Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani in their recent meeting in Amman, Jordan where the two discussed the latest Afghan situation.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also spoke to President Asif Zardari and Karzai on telephone on last Wednesday and urged the two leaders to opt for restrain and avoid public hostilities.
The US has set the deadline of 2014 for the exit of its troops from Afghanistan but it realises that in order to have a smooth departure, cooperation between Islamabad and Kabul is vital.
Washington and its western allies such as the UK know very well how negative could be the fallout of any hostility and rivalry between Afghanistan and Pakistan for their exit strategy.
According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan is disappointed over the recent statements by Karzai and other Afghan leaders in which they blamed Islamabad for allegedly creating hurdles in the reconciliation process.
The recent remarks from Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin that Kabul could move along with the Afghanistan reconciliation process on its own and especially could reach out to the Taliban without any assistance from Islamabad have especially not gone down well with the Pakistani authorities.
Sources said the Afghan authorities wanted Islamabad to set free the remaining Taliban leaders, especially Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the former deputy to the Taliban Supreme Commander, Mullah Omar.
“This fresh wave of tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan has caused serious concerns in Washington and London and both the countries are trying through diplomatic channels to defuse the situation between Islamabad and Kabul and put them back on the path of cooperation,” a source said seeking anonymity.
He said that the US and UK were urging the authorities in Islamabad and Kabul to avoid public statements against each other and rather engage through diplomatic channels for the end of their differences.
A Pakistani diplomat when contacted said that Pakistan was all willing to play its due role for bringing back peace and stability to Afghanistan but at the same time it wanted Afghanistan to reciprocate positively to its peace overtures.
“We have released around two dozen Taliban prisoners so far and the rest of them would also be set free in phases. All this is being done to facilitate the Afghanistan reconciliation process and hence no one shall have any doubts about Islamabad’s intensions,” he said while asking not to be named.