Islamabad, June 27 -- The Afghan president on Thursday praised Pakistan's efforts to advance the peace process in the region as he reached out to Islamabad for help in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table with the Kabul government, Pakistani officials said.

Ashraf Ghani's remarks came at the start of his two-day visit to Pakistan, his first since elections that brought Prime Minister Imran Khan to power last year. The visit is also seen as an attempt by Ghani to reset the often-strained relationship between the two neighbors amid the stalled peace push with the Taliban.

Ghani first met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi before heading into talks with Khan.

He thanked Islamabad and "praised Pakistan's role in the peace ...