Heart of Asia discusses peace

Islamabad: A conference aimed at shoring up support for war-ravaged Afghanistan opened in the Pakistani capital on Tuesday, with a top Afghan official calling for an urgent, united response to the global menace of militancy.

The "Heart of Asia" meeting, an annual gathering of Asian and other countries, comes months after the first, inconclusive talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

"The wave of terrorist activities, including those of Daesh in various parts of the region and the world, once again reminds us of the gravity of this menace confronting today's humanity and the urgency for a united position against this evil phenomenon," Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hikmat Khalil Karzai told the conference. The Islamic State militant group is also known as Daesh.

The two-day meeting will focus on energy, infrastructure and investment deals to shore up commitment to Afghanistan but the threat of an intensifying Taliban insurgency will hang over proceedings.

The Afghan Taliban and the government held inaugural talks in Pakistan in July, but the effort to end the 14-year insurgency stalled when after news leaked that Taliban leader Mullah Mohamma.d Omar had been dead for two years.

News of Omar's death triggered a violent split in the Taliban, further undermining hopes for the negotiations.