ISLAMABAD, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday called for an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan, during a telephone conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, officials said.

Ghani made a telephone call on Thursday to the Pakistani prime minister to discuss the recent efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan assured President Ghani that Pakistan was making sincere efforts for a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan through an inclusive peace process, as part of shared responsibility," the statement said.

The prime minister's office said Ghani invited the prime minister to visit Afghanistan at his earliest convenience, adding that Khan reciprocated by inviting Ghani to visit Pakistan.

The talk took place at a time when efforts for peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict were stepped up in recent days. U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad began his three-day visit to Pakistan on Thursday to explore ways for political solution to the conflict.