Talibanisation common threat to Pak and Afghanistan: Aslam

Islamabad, Feb 20 (UNI) Pakistan today said Talibanisation was a ''common threat'' to Pakistan and Afghanistan and underscored the need of concrete measures to counter the threat.

''We are taking all measures, in our own interest, to counter the threat of Talibanisation and extremism,'' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said here while asking Afghanistan and United Nations officials to refrain from questioning Pakistan's commitment in the fight against terrorism.

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

The American media had quoted Governor of the Northwestern Frontier Province (NWFP) Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai as claiming in Peshawar last week that the ethnic Pakhtuns in Afghanistan were increasingly supporting the Taliban, amid frustration over lack of influence in government and insufficient economic aid.

''The support for militant operations in Afghanistan has developed into a nationalist resistance, a liberation war against coalition forces,'' he was quoted as saying.

But, Ms Aslam said the Governor's remarks were distorted, adding that he had only mentioned what militant Taliban were saying to win the sympathies of Afghan population living in Southern and Eastern Afghanistan.

''Pakistan is also firmly committed not to allow its territory to be used for militancy and violence against Afghanistan,'' she said and added Islamabad was fully cooperating in this regard with NATO and Afghan 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 with Afghanistan and maintain nearly 1000 military posts on the border,'' she added while recalling her country's decision to fence parts of Pakistani border with Afghanistan.

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

''While Pakistan, NATO and Afghan forces maintain close cooperation to counter the common danger of terrorism and extremism, it must be emphasised that the problems of Afghanistan have to be addressed inside Afghanistan,'' she stressed.

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

UNI