Pak, Afghan agrees to wipe out rifts through consultations: FOISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam on Monday has said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Afghan President Hamid Karzai at ECO conference have mutually agreed on the viewpoint that foreign ministers from both the states would now hold regular talks to wipeout misunderstandings through consultations.
Pakistan on Monday responded sharply to Afghan criticism of its counterterrorism efforts, saying that if Osama bin Laden is alive he is more likely hiding in Afghanistan than Pakistan.
Over the weekend, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta told a German newspaper that bin Laden was in Pakistan and that Islamabad was making ``half-hearted'' efforts to bring him to justice.
``I think these allegations are absurd and if any one is making half-hearted efforts, it's on the other side,'' Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a weekly news conference in the capital.
``Afghans need to concentrate on taking action of their side instead of making accusations at Pakistan.'' ``Nobody knows where Osama bin Laden is. If he is alive the chances are that he might be in Afghanistan, but we cannot say for sure,'' Aslam said.
Pakistan Monday hoped that the tragic killing of Pakistani student Aamer Nazir Cheema would not have negative impact on multi-faceted Pak-German relations.
Responding questions she described killing of Aamer Nazir Cheema in German police custody as unfortunate.
She said Pakistani investigators have joined Germans. 'They were given access to every place and everyone they wanted to seek and they will submit their report on their return to Pakistan'.
She said Pakistan and Germany have multi-faced relations and tragic incident would not have negative impacts on them.
Courtesy Geo
New Afghan Foreign Minister Chides PakistanAfghanistan -- Afghanistan's new Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, June 2005
Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta (file photo)
(AFP)
PRAGUE, May 15, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Afghanistan's new foreign minister, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan (RFA) today that Pakistan is not doing enough to catch Taliban leaders.
The statement is likely to reignite a long-running war of words between Kabul and Islamabad, who have accused each other of intelligence and political failures in countering terrorism and insurgency in the region amid continuing violence in Afghanistan.
Spanta made his comments in an exclusive interview today with RFA.
"I'd mainly like [to emphasize] that although Pakistan has arrested several Al-Qaeda leaders, there has not been any significant action to arrest Taliban leaders," he said.
Spanta added that he has invited his Pakistani counterpart to visit Afghanistan for talks on issues of mutual interest.
Spanta also said that Afghanistan is ready to play a role in helping to reduce tensions between the United States and neighboring Iran over Tehran's nuclear activities.
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/...5c2f0d52d2.html
Pakistan says bin Laden probably in Afghanistan(AFP)
15 May 2006
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan said Monday that Osama bin Laden was likely to be in Afghanistan, rejecting a reported claim by Kabul’s foreign minister that the Al Qaeda chief is hiding in Pakistani territory.
In the latest verbal salvo between the neighbours and allies in the US-led “war on terror”, Islamabad dismissed criticism by new Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta of its attempts to catch Bin Laden.
“Nobody knows where Osama bin Laden is. If he is alive the chances are that he might be in Afghanistan but we cannot say for sure,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said when asked about Spanta’s comments.
Spanta was reported to have told a German newspaper at the weekend that Pakistan was “half-hearted” in its efforts to track down Bin Laden and to crack down on Islamic militants.
“I think these allegations are absurd -- if anyone is making half-hearted efforts it’s on other side,” she said.
“Pakistan has sacrificed more in terms of the human lives than the combined loss of Afghanistan and ISAF (the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan),” Aslam said.
The spokeswoman said the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan would now keep “close contact” following a decision to do so by Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The two leaders met earlier this month in Azerbaijan during a regional summit.
Afghan officials have long said that the insurgency plaguing their country is being directed by leaders of the Taleban and Al Qaeda movements who fled to Pakistan after the Taleban government was toppled in late 2001.
Pakistan denies the charge and says it has 80,000 troops combating insurgents along its border with Afghanistan.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle...bcontinent&col=Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to clarify misunderstandingsPOL-PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to clarify misunderstandings
ISLAMABAD, May 15 (KUNA) -- Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to clarify misunderstandings by holding regular meetings of the foreign ministers of the two countries, said Foreign Office spokesperson here Monday.
During the recently held ECO summit in Baku, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Afghan President had agreed that the two foreign ministers would now meet regularly and discuss all issues, spokesperson, Tasnim Aslam, told newsmen at her weekly press briefing here. In this regard, he added, the Afghan Foreign Minister is likely to visit Pakistan shortly.
She also rejected as absurd claim by Afghan Foreign Minister that Osama bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan and said Afghanistan is making "halfhearted" efforts in the hunt for terror suspects.
If Osama bin Laden is alive he is more likely hiding in Afghanistan than Pakistan, she said.
Pakistan has deployed over eighty thousand troops on border with Afghanistan to interdict people and catch terrorists. It has sacrificed more in the war against terrorism than anyone else, the Pakistani spokesperson added.
Responding to Indian statement regarding test-fire of long range Agni-III missile, the spokesperson said Pakistan is exercising restraint and does not want nuclear or conventional arms race in the region.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Lan...=en&DSNO=866177Pakistan, Afghanistan FMs to meet regularly: FO ISLAMABAD, May 15 (APP): Pakistan and Afghanistan have decided to hold regular meetings at the level of foreign ministers to remove any misunderstandings and to better cooperate with each other in the war against terrorism.
The decision was taken by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Afghan President Hamid Karazi when they met on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) recently, Foreign Office Spokesperson Ms. Tasnim Aslam told a weekly media briefing here Monday.
The Spokesperson said Afghan Foreign Minister was likely to visit Pakistan very soon for talks with his counterpart on bilateral issues and security measures.
She rejected allegations that Pakistan was taking half-hearted efforts in the war against terrorism, pointing out that it was on record that Pakistani forces had sacrificed more lives than the combined loss of foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan.
The Spokesperson said Pakistan had deployed 80,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan to stop the movement of terrorists. She said, "We have record of doing more than any other single country in this war against terrorism."
She said the allegations against Pakistan were "absurd."
The spokesperson said, "if any one is making half- hearted efforts, its on the other side of the border."
She said Afghanistan needs to concentrate on taking action on their side instead of levelling accusations against Pakistan.
She said, if they had any evidence they should share it with Pakistan, because that is the proper way. She said going to press and levelling wide allegations does not help any one.
The spokesperson said people of Pakistan and Afghanistan have very long and deep rooted historical, cultural and religious ties and they are the binding force between the two countries. She said small matters between the two countries could not jeopardize these relations.
Answering a question about the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden said, "No body knows where Osama Bin Laden is; if he is alive, the chances are that he might be in Afghanistan, but we can not say for sure."
About the planned test of new missile by India, the Spokesperson said, "We do not want an arms race, conventional or non-conventional, in this region."
She said, Pakistan is alive to its security concerns and ready to meet its security requirements.
Replying to a question, the Spokesperson said Pakistan wants progress from the talks with India. She said Pakistan wants to move forward in the dialogue process with India.
About the issue of Baglihar, the Spokesperson said the matter is with the neutral expert and both sides would have meeting with the expert this month or the next.
Commenting on the reports of investigation on nuclear proliferation, the Spokesperson said Pakistan had conducted thorough investigation in this regard and shared information with IAEA and other relevant countries.
If there was any thing new in this regard relating to any other country or Pakistan "We will investigate and share the results," she said. At the moment "We have nothing new in this regard."
About the issue of gas pipeline with Iran, she said Pakistan has been working on the project.
Regarding visit of President Musharraf in June to China to attend SCO meeting, she said Pakistan wants to be a full member of SCO and is working on it.
Answering a question, she said OIC senior officials have approved a resolution in their meeting held recently in Jeddah which will be adopted in OIC's officials meeting to be held in Baku next month.
She said the resolution urges all member states as well as other peace loving states to extend financial support to the elected Palestinian government of Hamas, so that it could tackle the financial problems following the suspension of financial support from USA and Canada.
Commenting on the agreement between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto in London on charter of democracy, the Spokesperson said, Pakistan has no extradition treaty with United Kingdom to seek any one or any absconder to return to Pakistan.
She said Nawaz Sharif was given permission by the government to travel to London. She said United Kingdom is not interfering in Pakistan's affairs and added Pakistan will not allow any one to interfere in its internal affairs.
About the death of Aimer Cheema in German jail, the Spokesperson said Pakistan's investigation team is in Germany and has access to all the places. She said the team will come to Pakistan and submit its report regarding the investigation.
She expressed deep sense of condolence and loss of young life of Pakistani student.
The Spokesperson said Pakistan and Germany have good bilateral and multifaceted cooperation added that this tragic and sad incident would not have a negative impact on these relations. This is the desire of both the countries, she added
http://www.app.com.pk/n37.htm