Pakistan, Afghanistan plan for tribal gathering

KABUL, May 4 (Reuters) Pakistan and Afghanistan, intent on ending a blame game over the Taliban insurgency, have drafted plans for their presidents to jointly address a gathering of tribal elders, intellectuals, writers and politicians.

Visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said Islamabad had nominated around 350 prominent figures to attend the first ever jirga, or tribal council, to be held with representatives from both sides of the disputed border.

''This is a novel experience because we have not had such a joint jirga before, ever,'' Sherpao told reporters ahead of a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai today.

''Hopefully we will be able to have a major impact as far as the situation in both countries are concerned.'' No date or agenda has yet been finalised for a gathering that would have to take place under blanket security, as both Musharraf and Karzai are assassination targets for al Qaeda-linked militants.

An Afghan spokesman said his government would propose its representatives after receiving the Pakistani list.

The Taliban have drawn most of their support from the Pashtun tribal lands straddling the rugged border, and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has voiced fears that the insurgency could turn into a ''people's war'' unless grievances were addressed.

Relations between Musharraf and Karzai have deteriorated over the past two years, as they traded barbs over who was most at fault for a resurgence of the Taliban that has resulted in the worst violence since US-led forces ousted the Islamist militia from power in late 2001.

President George W Bush encouraged his two key allies in the war on terrorism to bury their differences during a meeting in Washington at which the idea of a joint jirga was first floated.

Ties had remained strained however, and last month Musharraf said Pakistan should quit the coalition if he and his security agencies were not trusted by their allies.

During a meeting in Turkey this week, however, the Afghan and Pakistani presidents agreed to start a new chapter, and Sherpao's visit aimed to carry forward the process.

''The focus is on peace in Afghanistan because it is Pakistan that benefits from peace in Afghanistan,'' said Sherpao, who narrowly survived a suicide bomb attack that killed 28 people in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province last Saturday.

Reuters KK GC1812