ISLAMABAD, (AP) – Pakistan’s prime minister says peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban cannot succeed without Pakistan’s help.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters Tuesday that Pakistan is part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said his government has talked informally with the Taliban for some time on securing peace in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has offered to facilitate talks previously but Afghanistan is believed to be suspicious of its motives.

Pakistan helped the Taliban seize power in Afghanistan in the 1990s because the group was seen as a counterweight to Pakistan’s archenemy, India, in the country.

Many senior Taliban commanders are believed to be in Pakistan.