Dawn, March 14, 2006
World unsafe without Pakistan’s help: Karzai
KABUL, March 14: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday demanded Pakistan’s full cooperation in the fight against terrorism, saying that without Islamabad’s help the world would never be safe.
Mr Karzai said at a media conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the world must unite against militancy because “terrorism can affect anyone, anytime and anywhere.”
“Pakistan and Afghanistan are the central pieces in this war against terror and unless there is sincere, intense, systematic cooperation from all sides, the world would not be safe,” Mr Karzai said.
“Therefore it is extremely important that our brothers in Pakistan join us in the most intense manner — that is the need of the hour in the fight against terrorism.”
In Islamabad, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said his country was committed to a “strong, stable and vibrant Afghanistan”.
“We have and will support the government in Afghanistan to rebuild its country and reconstruct itself,” he told a news conference after the Canadian premier flew into Islamabad from Kabul.
In Kuala Lumpur, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah played down the row over efforts to fight cross-border terrorism, calling only for continued cooperation.
Mr Abdullah, visiting Malaysia to seek greater business investment, acknowledged Pakistan had contributed a lot to the fight against militants blamed for a surge of attacks in his country.
Pakistan has “arrested many members of Al Qaeda which, had they not been arrested, they would have been a problem for Pakistan, and they would have been a problem for Afghanistan, and for stability in our region,” he told a press conference.
“But I think we need to continue to work together to overcome this problem,” he said.
“Has there been cooperation? Yes. Do we need to continue our cooperation in this field? Yes, of course.”
Mr Abdullah’s comments come amid calls from Kabul for Islamabad to clamp down on the Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents who are accused of operating from hideouts across the border. Pakistan has rejected the charge.—AFP
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