Act maturely,Pak warns Afghanistan

At this defining stage when challenges have multiplied,as have the opportunities,it is our expectation that everyone,especially those in position of authority in Afghanistan,will demonstrate requisite maturity and responsibility, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told reporters.

This is no time for point-scoring,playing politics or grandstanding, she said in her weekly press briefing.

Her comments seemed more confrontational than Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilanis statement Wednesday that Afghanistan and India have the right to maintain bilateral relations as sovereign nations. His comments were reported by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.

The agreement,which was signed Tuesday,outlined areas of common concern including trade,economic expansion,education,security and politics. It was the first of its kind between Afghanistan and any country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai tried to assuage concern over the pact Wednesday,saying it was not intended as an aggressive move against Pakistan. But Karzais words likely carried little weight in Pakistan,which is sandwiched between Afghanistan to its west and India to its east. Pakistani officials,especially in the army,have long viewed policy in Afghanistan through one lens: countering the perceived danger of Indian influence in the country.

The agreement will heighten Pakistans insecurities, said Talat Masood,an analyst and former Pakistani general. Pakistan has always felt that it is being encircled by India from both the eastern and western borders.