ISLAMABAD - The participants of track-II initiative on Afghan peace would be meeting here in the latter half of January in a bid to narrow down the differences among various Afghan factions so that a homegrown solution to this lingering problem could be evolved. Sources aware of the development taking place on this front informed The Nation that the track-II initiative co-sponsored by United Arabs Emirates and East-West Centre Germany had brought together stakeholders including the people from Pakistan who have say in the whole process, representatives of Afghan Government, some people who have say in the warring Talibans on both sides of Pak-Afghan border and some other people who are also associated with the imbroglio one way or the other. In the earlier meetings of the group which were held in Dubai, it was the consensus view of the participants that only a home-grown solution would bring lasting peace in the region and anything imposed from outside would not bring any respite to the ongoing fighting in the region. Sources informed that it was in the light of the discussions and proposals given by the participants of the track-II initiative that Afghan Government had constituted a Peace Council with a broader mandate of bringing the divergent warring factions of Taliban on one platform to look for some negotiated settlement to the dispute. Sources further informed that the members of track-II initiative, which included Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and members from other stakeholders including the representatives of tribal areas of Pakistan, had proposed that lasting peace in the region could only be possible when some home-grown strategy would be evolved free from any foreign interference. Some members of the track-II initiative belonging to Afghanistan had proposed that as part of the confidence building measures all the Taliban leaders fighting the Afghan forces would be given general clemency, so that they could join the main stream Afghan polity and participate in the political process. Sources further informed that the recent visit of the Peace Council led by Afghan Vice-President Burhanuddin Rabbani was extension of the track-II initiative as they had held detailed meetings here in a bid to take Pakistan on board about the plan of the Peace Council to bring normalcy to this region.