Pakistan disappointed over Karzai's remarks

Islamabad, May 19 (UNI) Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri today said Pakistan is saddened by Afghan president Hamid Karzai's statement in which he blamed the former for involvement in terrorist activities.

He told the Senate that a strong Afghanistan is what Pakistan wants. ''I will not give a strong worded statement on what he (Karzai) had said. We don't even know if he has made that statement as it is attributed to some tribal leaders quoting him.'' Mr Karzai reportedly blamed Pakistan for not checking cross border infiltration by Taliban, saying that Islamabad wanted to convert his country into a military base. ''Gone are the days when Afghan government used to be formed and dismantled in Islamabad''.

''I can only say that we are saddened by what has been reported in the newspapers today,'' Mr Kasuri said.

He said Pakistan has never and will not ever try to create instability in Afghanistan. ''Why should we do things that are against our own interests.'' However, Afghanistan should not indulge in such insidious statements, official Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Mr Kasuri as saying.

''Lets not trade insults through media. You have a difficult situation there, we have a difficult situation here. Let's not loose our cool,'' Mr Kasuri said, adding Afghanistan was very dear to Pakistan and that is why the bilateral trade has increased tremendously over the last four years.

''Four years ago our trade stood at mere 23 million dollars and it is currently 1.5 billion dollars,'' he added.

UNI XC PR DS1612