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Pak, Afghan leaders vow to fight terror

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari have discussed ways of tackling terrorism and expanding bilateral ties.

Karzai arrived in Islamabad at the helm of a high-ranking delegation on Wednesday for the second time in less than six months.

“We discussed how to find ways of tackling sanctuaries, training grounds, ideologies and financial resources of terrorists,” said Karzai in a joint news conference with Zardari.

The Afghan president added that the two neighboring states “have to be frank and open to find a way out together.”

“The reality is that both the countries are suffering at the hands of terrorists,” AFP quoted Karzai as saying.

The two leaders also held talks on leaked Pentagon documents accusing Islamabad of being in contact with Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan rejects the charge.

After the release of the document in July, Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, in a letter, urged Western states to reconsider their approach toward Pakistan.

“What the national security adviser said in the letter that he wrote is exactly what we were discussing today in Pakistan,” Karzai added.

Karzai also reiterated his government’s openness to hold talks “with the Taliban who are not part of al-Qaeda or any other terrorist network… who abide by the Afghan constitution.”

Zardari, for his part, stressed that his country will continue its efforts in fighting terrorism.

“I reiterate that Pakistan stands against terrorism,” he said.

“Pakistan is the part of the solution and not the problem,” Zardari added.

Karzai’s visit to Islamabad comes as the two neighbor countries are facing rising violent attacks organized by Taliban and other militant groups.

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