Pakistan president due in Afghanistan for ‘war on terror’ talks

KABUL – Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was due in Afghanistan yesterday for talks on the “war on terror” amid Afghan claims that Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle the roots of the Taliban insurgency.

The keenly watched visit comes after increased international pressure on Musharraf to deal with Islamist groups that Afghanistan says are fomenting the Taliban uprising. Musharraf was due to arrive on his first visit since 2002 at around 0900 GMT.Details of the two-day trip were kept under wraps for security reasons.He and President Hamid Karzai will have “frank discussions on the war on terror and expanding bilateral cooperation on regional issues,” Karzai’s office said Tuesday.The leaders were drawn into a heated exchange earlier in the year about the insurgency after Musharraf dismissed as “nonsense” Afghan intelligence about Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders allegedly living in Pakistan.Afghan officials say Taliban and al-Qaeda militants who fled to Pakistan after the hardliners were toppled from government in 2001 are directing the insurgency from across the border.Pakistan has 80 000 troops along the frontier to stop militants from crossing over and has also arrested some key al-Qaeda leaders.But Afghan officials insist Islamabad could do more against extremist factions that are training and equipping militants.Nampa-AFPMusharraf was due to arrive on his first visit since 2002 at around 0900 GMT.Details of the two-day trip were kept under wraps for security reasons.He and President Hamid Karzai will have “frank discussions on the war on terror and expanding bilateral cooperation on regional issues,” Karzai’s office said Tuesday.The leaders were drawn into a heated exchange earlier in the year about the insurgency after Musharraf dismissed as “nonsense” Afghan intelligence about Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders allegedly living in Pakistan.Afghan officials say Taliban and al-Qaeda militants who fled to Pakistan after the hardliners were toppled from government in 2001 are directing the insurgency from across the border.Pakistan has 80 000 troops along the frontier to stop militants from crossing over and has also arrested some key al-Qaeda leaders.But Afghan officials insist Islamabad could do more against extremist factions that are training and equipping militants.Nampa-AFP