Pak tribal regions must be stabilized to establish control over Afghanistan: Holbrooke

Brussels, July 29 (ANI): US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, has reiterated that the stability of Pakistan's lawless tribal areas along the Afghan border is very important in order to have some degree of control in Afghanistan.

"In order to succeed in Afghanistan we have to have some degree of stability and control on the Pakistan side of the border," The News quoted Holbrooke, as saying.

Talking to media persons at the NATO headquarters here, Holbrooke said that at least seventy percent of Taliban do not share the philosophy of violence and bloodshed of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

He highlighted that the Taliban were receiving funds from foreign countries particularly from the Gulf nations.

"The money is coming in from sympathisers from all over the world with the bulk of it appearing to come from the Gulf," Holbrooke said.

"What I believe happens is that the Taliban funds local operations in the Pashtun belt out of drug money, but the overall effort gets massive amounts of money from outside Afghanistan," he added. (ANI)