The US President Barack Obama will host talks with his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan next week in Washington.

That was announced Saturday by the White House, Voice of America reported.

President Obama will speak jointly and separately with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari starting Wednesday at the White House, spokesman, Robert Gibbs, expleined.

Meantime, The New York Times reports that the Obama administration is considering reaching out to former Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. Mr. Sharif heads the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N party, and has ties to Pakistani Islamists.

The newspaper report says U.S. officials hope to use these Islamist ties to address the challenges posed by Taliban insurgents.

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan governments are fighting Taliban insurgencies in regions of their countries that share a mountainous border.

Insurgents have made a comeback in Afghanistan, causing the highest level of violence since a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban government in 2001.

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