Karzai arrives in Pakistan for talks

Afghanistan’s president arrived in Pakistan today for talks aimed at co-ordinating the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants along the countries’ shared border, a subject that has led to tension between the two US allies.

At the start of his two-day visit, President Hamid Karzai planned to meet Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to discuss economic ties as well as the battle against militants, said Mohammed Sadiq, spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

Afghan officials have repeatedly said Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked militants use bases inside Pakistan to orchestrate attacks against Karzai’s US-backed government.

In a speech last week, Karzai said militant sanctuaries were located beyond Afghanistan’s borders and he wanted the US-led fight against terrorism “to go after their shelters … and training centres.”

Pakistan has denied the Afghan charges, but its security officials have acknowledged that local tribal fighters and militants of Arab, Afghan and Central Asian origin operate in the country’s tribal regions along the Afghan border.

When asked if the dispute will be brought up at today’s meeting, Sadiq said: “We will discuss what are our concerns; if they have any concerns they will discuss them.”

Sadiq described Karzai’s trip as an “important political visit.

“All the issues which are important for the bilateral relationship will be on the table during this visit,” he said.

A recent US intelligence report indicated that al-Qaida – blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US – may be regrouping in North Waziristan, a tribal region where militants have staged almost daily attacks against Pakistani security forces in recent months.

When he declared a state of emergency in November, Musharraf cited the fight against increasing militancy in the country’s northwestern areas close to Afghanistan.

The emergency has been lifted, but Pakistan has seen a spate of suicide attacks in recent weeks. One bomber struck a crowded mosque Friday, killing 56 people.

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto yesterday accused Musharraf of failing to stop the spread of Islamic militancy and promised to crack down on extremist groups if she wins parliamentary elections on January 8.

About 200 international observers, including dozens of journalists, will arrive in Pakistan to monitor the vote, Sadiq said.

Bhutto, a former prime minister who returned from exile to lead her opposition party in the poll, told about 4,000 supporters that extremism and terror flourished across the country since Musharraf seized power eight years ago in a military coup.

“The areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan became a haven for extremists, and the extremism and terrorism is flowing down into other areas,” she said.

If elected, her party would clear the extremists from Pakistan, she said.

But Musharraf said his government was working to tackle the ongoing challenge posed by Islamic extremists.

“We are facing this internal threat and tackling the situation tactfully,” he said in a speech.