Baseless charges by Afghanistan can affect mutual trust: Majid

Islamabad, Jul 28 (UNI) A top Pakistani military official today warned that baseless allegations by Afghan leadership against Pakistan could affect mutual trust between the two US allies in the war against terror.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other officials of his administration have been accusing Pakistan and its premier intelligence agency ISI of involvement in different acts of terror in Afghanistan.

''Afghanistan's baseless allegations against Pakistan could affect mutual trust and would definitely influence our efforts in war against terror,'' Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Tariq Majid said while talking to Lt Gen Martin E Dempsey, acting Commander US CENTCOM, who called on him here today.

Gen Majid emphasised the need to have a collaborative approach between the coalition forces operating in Afghanistan.

His remarks came hours after six people, three of them susepcted foreign militants were killed in a missile strike on a compound, which was allegedly being used as a hideout of militants in South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

No further details were available. However, security officials in the region said that Pakistan army did not fire the missiles.

''Gen Majid and Gen Dempsey also exchanged views on current security environment of the region with a focus on situation in tribal areas and Afghanistan,'' an official statement said after the meeting.

''We have to give a chance to the political process over the kinetic approach followed and develop a broad based consensus on the strategy worked out by Pakistan to deal with terrorism for a real solution to the problem rather than indulging in blame game,'' Gen Majid said while calling Afghan allegations as ''rhetoric.'' There was a dire need to break the nexus of drug trafficking in Afghanistan which is the life line of terror outfits, he added.

Expressing concern over repeated cross border missile attacks by coalition and Afghan forces, chairman Joint Chiefs said, ''Our sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, any violation in this regard could be detrimental to bilateral relations.'' Gen Majid also reemphasised that Pakistan Armed Forces were capable of handling any challenges to the country's security.

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