Pakistan, Afghanistan to talk on Taliban rebellion

KABUL, Dec 6 (Reuters) Pakistan's foreign minister arrives in Kabul tomorrow for talks on tribal councils aimed at stemming the growing Taliban insurgency and putting an end to the worst fighting since the strict Islamists were ousted in 2001.

Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri's visit comes amid accusations from senior Afghan intelligence officials Islamabad still supports the Taliban and warnings from Kabul's western allies that the rebels are being bolstered by the ability to shelter in Pakistan.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed on tribal councils, or jirgas, of community leaders from each country to find a solution to the violence.

Afghan and Pakistani tribes were split by British civil servants in the same way as Pakistan and India were divided.

''We hope that the real representatives from across Pakistan will take part in the (Afghan) jirga,'' spokesman for President Hamid Karzai Karim Rahimi said.

Afghanistan wants all tribes to take part in the councils, not just the Pashtuns from the main Pakistani border areas.

''But still there is a big gap on positions of the two governments on jirgas and other issues,'' Rahimullah Yusufzai, a newspaper editor and expert on Afghan affairs said.

''Pakistanis want more restricted jirgas that should include local tribal elders while Afghans are interested in broad-based gathering including parliamentarians, local councillors, representatives of civil society and NGOs.'' ''It is not easy to bridge this gap.'' Kabul wants Karzai and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to lead the first jirga, but no time or place has been set.

Some Afghan and Pakistani leaders say elements of the Taliban must be included if there is to be any peace.

''For the moment, the strategy is to isolate the Taliban by mobilising those sectors of the Afghan population which used to have considerable influence in the past but whose influence has dwindled because of the rise of the ideological movements like the Taliban,'' says Former Pakistani foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmad Khan.

REUTERS LL VC1933