'Crisis hotline' set up between Pak, Afghan, Turkish presidents'

Ankara: A hotline has been established to facilitate communication among the presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey "in times of crisis," a Turkish official said Monday.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the Turkish official said that the hotline had been operational since yesterday (Sunday) but the presidents had not used it yet. “It is designed to help communication among the three capitals in times of crisis,” the official added. The presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan are due to hold talks in Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday in a bid to resolve a row after Kabul claimed an attack against its spy chief was planned in Pakistan. The assassination attempt on National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief Asadullah Khalid was carried out Thursday by an attacker who claimed to be a Taliban peace envoy but had a bomb hidden in his underwear. http://rtilive.pk/detail/7616