ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has assured visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond that Islamabad is still supporting a fragile peace process in neighboring Afghanistan.

His comments on Tuesday came days after the Taliban announced that they would not participate in proposed peace talks with the Afghan government until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and leave the country. The Taliban announcement was seen as a setback to efforts made by Pakistan, Washington and Beijing to arrange face-to-face talks this month between Kabul and the Taliban in Islamabad.

A government statement says Khan made his comments Tuesday during a meeting with Hammond, who arrived here after holding talks with the Afghan leadership.