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Pakistan urges joint terror fight | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Pakistan and Afghanistan have to fight "the scourge of terror and extremism" together, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said on a visit to Kabul. | |
Speaking alongside Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, Gen Musharraf said the nations should have "brotherly" relations. | |
Ties have been frayed by Afghan claims that Islamabad has not done enough to stop cross-border Taleban raids. | |
Separately, visiting Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said the anti-Taleban fight "will be won". | |
Nato forces have suffered losses in Afghanistan in recent weeks and a major Nato-led offensive is still under way in southern Kandahar province. | |
Neighbours' dispute | Neighbours' dispute |
After the two presidents held talks in Kabul, Gen Musharraf told a joint news conference: "The key obstacle in the area... is the scourge of terrorism and extremism. This is the scourge that we have to fight." | |
Afghan press eyes visit Bin Laden 'gaffe' denied | |
Gen Musharraf said the two nations must fight the "Talebanisation" of society. | |
The leaders have argued in the past about how to fight militants but Gen Musharraf said: "If we don't trust each other, there is no moving forward. The only course left is to have trust - kill mistrust, don't blame each other." | |
His visit comes after Pakistan signed a pact with pro-Taleban militants on the Afghan border. | |
Gen Musharraf warned that any Pakistani militants breaking the peace deal would be met with renewed military action. | |
The North Waziristan accord calls on tribesmen to expel foreign militants and end cross-border attacks in return for a reduced military presence. | The North Waziristan accord calls on tribesmen to expel foreign militants and end cross-border attacks in return for a reduced military presence. |
Many observers doubt the accord can be enforced, pointing to similar deals in neighbouring South Waziristan which strengthened the hand of Taleban supporters. | Many observers doubt the accord can be enforced, pointing to similar deals in neighbouring South Waziristan which strengthened the hand of Taleban supporters. |
Relations between the two neighbours have been strained over the question of infiltration. | |
We should win, because not winning means Afghanistan becoming a failed state again Jaap de Hoop SchefferNato Secretary General | |
Pakistan ended support for the Taleban in 2001 and has denied accusations that Taleban fighters launch attacks from safe havens within Pakistan. | |
In February, Afghanistan issued a list of 150 Taleban suspects living in Pakistan whom it said it believed had carried out attacks in Afghanistan. | In February, Afghanistan issued a list of 150 Taleban suspects living in Pakistan whom it said it believed had carried out attacks in Afghanistan. |
Pakistan said the information was outdated, which Mr Karzai denied. | |
The two countries share a 2,250km (1,400-mile) mountainous border which is extremely difficult to patrol. | The two countries share a 2,250km (1,400-mile) mountainous border which is extremely difficult to patrol. |
Test of Nato | |
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Karzai signed an accord with Nato's Mr de Hoop Scheffer to boost security and development. | |
Mr de Hoop Scheffer (L) and Mr Karzai sign a development accord | |
It came after Nato had said more than 50 Taleban fighters were killed on Tuesday in the major Nato-led offensive in the Panjwayi district in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar. | |
However, the fighting is less intense than over the weekend when Nato said 200 militants were killed - a figure disputed by the Taleban, which said many of the casualties were civilians. | |
Nato took over command of military operations in southern Afghanistan from the US a month ago. | |
Mr de Hoop Scheffer said: "The spoilers are testing out Nato to see if Nato is as robust as the [US-led] coalition. The answer as we now see is: 'Yes'." | |
He said Nato troop levels were sufficient, but that they could be increased in the future if the mission demanded it. | |
"We should win, because not winning means Afghanistan becoming a failed state again," he said. | |
But in another example of the violence wracking the country, a suicide bomber attacked a car in Yaqubi in the eastern province of Khost on Wednesday, killing the teacher and civil servant seated inside. | |
One report suggested the bomber may have mistaken the vehicle for that carrying a local district chief. | |
Separately, one British soldier was killed and five seriously injured by a landmine in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, the UK's ministry of defence said on Wednesday. |