Pakistan gives assurances on Taliban: Karzai

Kabul, Sept 30: Pakistan has assured Afghanistan it will take action against Taliban insurgents, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said today.

President Karzai and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf have accused each other of not doing enough to combat violence after a Taliban resurgence that has spawned the worst violence in Afghanistan since US-led forces toppled the hardliners five years ago.

US President George W Bush hosted a dinner for President Karzai and President Musharraf in Washington this week to try to ease tension between the two crucial allies in his war on terrorism.

''It was a very detailed, frank discussion about all the issues ... we hope we will get what we resolved to get,'' President Karzai told a news conference in Kabul.

''We did get a very categorical assurance that they would be moving against all extremist, terroristic elements.'' About 20,000 NATO troops and a similar number of US-led troops are battling to stem the Afghan violence, especially in the south and east.

Underscoring Afghanistan's precarious security, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the Interior Ministry in Kabul today, killing 12 people and wounding 42. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Afghanistan say Taliban leaders run the insurgency from Pakistan.

Pakistan says some militants might be able to cross the porous border but Taliban leaders are in Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

President Karzai, asked about the whereabouts of bin Laden and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former prime minister and militant leader allied with al Qaeda, said: ''I assure you they are not in Afghanistan.''

TRIBAL MEETINGS

President Karzai hailed an agreement with Pakistan to hold separate jirgas, or councils of tribal leaders, on each side of the border. An Afghan official said it was hoped the jirgas could ''empower tribal structures to fight extremists and terrorists''.

President Karzai said the agreement was a ''first step in a very arduous journey''.

''It is a very important proposal. It's a very efficient way of preventing terrorists from cross-border activities or from trying to have sanctuaries where they have sanctuaries.'' Afghanistan has been suspicious of a peace agreement struck with tribal militants in Pakistan this month.

The pact is meant to end violence by pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan border region. It is also meant to choke off cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.

Critics say the pact creates a militant sanctuary. The US military said this week militant attacks in parts of Afghanistan opposite North Waziristan has surged by up to three times since the pact was signed.

''Let's see the result but unfortunately up to now, it hasn't had a good result for Afghanistan,'' President Karzai said.

REUTERS