Karzai proposes meeting with tribal leaders to deal terror

Kabul, Sep 30 (UNI) Afghan President Hamid Karzai has proposed a traditional ''loya jirga'' with tribal leaders of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a way of dealing with the issue of cross-border terrorism.

Addressing a press conference here today after his visit to the US, he said he held extensive talks with US President George Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

The Afghan President said he had discussed this idea with both the US President and the Pakistan President and both the leaders accepted it.

Despite an attempt to improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan with President Musharraf's visit to Kabul earlier this month, they were still strained as the two presidents met in the US.

Afghanistan had also expressed its reservations about the recently concluded agreement between Pakistan and the tribal elders in north Waziristan even as a recent US report suggested that cross border terrorism had gone up since then.

President Karzai told mediapersons that Pakistan had said it would crack down on extremist elements.

''We did get a very categorical assurance that they'll be moving against all extremists elements,'' he added.

Meanwhile, a bomb blast outside the Ministry of Interior killed at least 12 people. The blast was caused by a suicide bomber detonating himself outside the gate of the Ministry as Ministry workers were coming in for work.

Condemning the blast in a statement here Dr Karzai said, ''I condemn it in the strongest terms and call on the international community to work with Afghanistan in stopping sanctuaries that raise, train and brainwash young people to become suicide attackers.'' UNI XC SK KP2241