'Talibanisation common threat to Pak, Afghan'

Islamabad, Feb 20: Pakistan today said Talibanisation was a''common threat'' to Pakistan and Afghanistan and underscored the needof concrete measures to counter the threat.

''We are taking all measures, in our own interest, to counter thethreat of Talibanisation and extremism,'' Foreign Ministry spokeswomanTasneem Aslam said here while asking Afghanistan and United Nationsofficials to refrain from questioning Pakistan's commitment in thefight against terrorism.

She was commenting on a statement by a UN diplomat in Afghanistan,Tom Koenigs, who had criticised a senior Pakistani official forlikening the Taliban resistance to a nationalist struggle againstforeign forces.

The American media had quoted Governor of the NorthwesternFrontier Province (NWFP) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai as claiming inPeshawar last week that the ethnic Pakhtuns in Afghanistan wereincreasingly supporting the Taliban, amid frustration over lack ofinfluence in government and insufficient economic aid.

''The support for militant operations in Afghanistan has developedinto a nationalist resistance, a liberation war against coalitionforces,'' he was quoted as saying.

But, Ms Aslam said the Governor's remarks were distorted, addingthat he had only mentioned what militant Taliban were saying to win thesympathies of Afghan population living in Southern and EasternAfghanistan.

''Pakistan is also firmly committed not to allow its territory tobe used for militancy and violence against Afghanistan,'' she said andadded Islamabad was fully cooperating in this regard with NATO andAfghan forces.

She said no one should have any doubt about Pakistan's commitment and will to fight terrorism and extremism.

''We have deployed more than 80000 troops along our border withAfghanistan and maintain nearly 1000 military posts on the border,''she added while recalling her country's decision to fence parts ofPakistani border with Afghanistan.

She said Pakistan was also seeking international assistance toremove refugee camps located close to the border to deny any hideoutsto militant Taliban who are also Afghans.

''While Pakistan, NATO and Afghan forces maintain closecooperation to counter the common danger of terrorism and extremism, itmust be emphasised that the problems of Afghanistan have to beaddressed inside Afghanistan,'' she stressed.

Pakistan is doing whatever is needed to prevent any support fromour bordering areas to Taliban or extremists inside Afghanistan.

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