Pakistan encouraged by Afghan peace moves

Pakistan has expressed optimism about the search for peace in Afghanistan in spite of the failure of the warring sides to agree a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

A foreign ministry spokesman in Islamabad told reporters that the government was very encouraged by the acceptance of the Taleban and its opponents to refer their differences to a joint commission of religious scholars.

He said the Pakistani envoy Iftikhar Murshid would leave for Tehran on Friday to brief the Iranian government.

Reports from Afghanistan earlier this week said four bombs were dropped on the central Afghan town of Baniam during a raid believed to have been carried out by Taleban aircraft.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service