Pakistan puts off Afghan peace conference amid row

A three-day conference on peace in Afghanistan, which was to be hosted by Pakistan from Saturday, has been postponed till Eid al-adha, officials said on Friday, amid escalating violence in the war-torn country and trading of barbs between Kabul and Islamabad over alleged support to Taliban militants. The conference was originally scheduled from July 17 to 19 in Islamabad and was to be attended by a number of high-ranking Afghan leaders. Taliban leaders were not invited. The announcement was made, even as the Foreign Office in another statement rejected the remarks made by Afghanistan Vice President Amrullah Saleh that the Pakistan Air Force was providing air support to the Taliban militants in the border areas.