Thursday, February 16, 2012

Karzai Seeks Access to the Taliban in Pakistan Trip

tolonews.com


President Hamid Karzai is reportedly seeking Pakistan's support to provide access to senior Afghan Taliban leaders when he visits Islamabad on Thursday.

"We hope that Pakistan will arrange a purposeful meeting between us and so that we find a solution to our own problems," a senior Afghan official has told Reuters, emphasising hopes of direct talks with Taliban leaders.

"Pakistan has paid little attention to our concerns and the level of cooperation has not been sincere or honest so far."

Pakistan has consistently denied giving sanctuary to insurgents and denies the existence of any Quetta Shura, or leadership council.

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan got strained after the assassination of the head of High Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani in September.

Afghan officials blamed Pakistan's intelligence agency for the assassination, allegations angrily denied by Islamabad.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said after a recent trip to Kabul that Islamabad would support a process which is led and owned by the Afghans.

Karzai is expected to meet Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari during his visit which starts on Thursday part of the trilateral summit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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