Gen, Karzai join hands against terror

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday said that they have agreed to fight terrorism and deny sanctuary, training and financing to terrorists in each other’s country.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday said that they have agreed to fight terrorism and deny sanctuary, training and financing to terrorists in each other’s country.

The two heads of state also reiterated their commitment to combat drug smuggling, continue supporting moderation and improve their strained ties.

Karzai and Musharraf, who often point fingers at each other for not doing enough to stop a resurgent Taliban, issued a joint statement following a meeting at Turkey’s presidential palace.

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Brought together by Turkish leaders, the pair issued the statement stressing a mutual commitment to fighting terrorism. “The two presidents agreed to deny sanctuary, training and financing to terrorists and to elements involved in subversive and anti-state activities in each other’s country and to initiate immediate action on specific intelligence exchanges in this regard,” the joint declaration read.

The declaration was issued after the two leaders—with Turkey’s President Ahmet Necdet Sezer standing between them—locked hands and posed for the cameras together with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Karzai and Musharraf did not take any questions.

The two presidents also expressed concern at the alarming increase in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and underlined the connection between terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime in the region.

Afghan forces and international forces are steering clear of opium eradication efforts for fear of antagonising the 2 million farmers whose livelihoods depend on the crop.

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The statement also said the two leaders “resolved to work jointly for facilitating orderly repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan”.

The outcome of the meeting in Ankara shows progress since last week. Musharraf has said the meeting with Karzai was brokered by Erdogan, who is “trying to mediate” between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the row over cross-border militant movements.

Fresh offensive against Taliban

KABUL: US-led coalition troops killed more than 130 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan over the past several days, the coalition said on Monday, but thousands of Afghans staged a protest saying the victims were civilians.

Backed by air support, the Taliban were killed in two separate battles in the western province of Herat, the US military said in a statement.

— Reuters