A leaked memo reveals that the British government has been seeking reconciliation with Taliban's leadership council based in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

The leaked memo proposes that "reconciled" Taliban should be removed from the UN sanctions list, Britain's state television BBC reported. The proposed plan calls for a reintegration of Taliban foot soldiers, their commanders and shadow governors.

The memo was first reported by the German magazine Stern and by Hasht-e Sobh, a newspaper in Kabul.

Britain's Foreign office has refused to comment on the document, two sections of which were obtained by BBC — the first one on regional relationships and the second one on peace in Afghanistan.

The sections bear no name of the author or the recipient or the exact date but the document is believed to have been sent to the Afghan government within the past few weeks.

Part of the memo says "we must weaken and divide the Taliban if we are to reduce the insurgency to a level that can be managed and contained by the Afghan security forces."

The memo also calls for an Afghan-led, internationally backed process that works on three levels — firstly "tactical," involving reintegrating foot soldiers and their immediate commanders; secondly, "operational," involving the reintegration of the Taliban's "shadow governors," senior commanders and their forces; and thirdly, "strategic."

After the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Taliban leaders including Mullah Omar fled to Pakistani city of Quetta, where they received the support of Pakistani security officials.

The Taliban's Quetta leadership council known as 'shura' is based over the border from southern Afghanistan.

NATO's commander in Afghanistan Stanley McCrystal has described the Quetta 'shura' as the most threatening of a number of militant groups operating in Afghanistan.

US officials had earlier spoke of a plan, according to which the militants would receive money in exchange for laying down their arms.

AR/MMN