ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday decided to forget their differences to begin a new era of friendship, and declared that they would not allow each other’s territories to be used against the interests of either country.

“Afghans have nothing but goodwill in their hearts for Pakistan and if there was any misunderstanding or misperception about Pakistan ... the same has been buried,” said chairman of the interim Afghan government, Hamid Karzai.

President Pervez Musharraf and Mr Karzai told a joint news conference that they had forgotten the past with a view to undertaking extensive political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Referring to criticism of Pakistan by some ministers in the Afghan government, Mr Karzai said: “We have buried all misunderstandings”.

Gen Musharraf said: “We are all brothers ... and we have discussed everything; there has been misperception on both sides that needs to be forgotten”.

He said there was a need to look towards future as the brotherly and cooperative relationship between the two countries needed to be highlighted.

The president said he had also invited Defence Minister Gen Faheem and Interior Minister Younus Qanooni to visit Pakistan, adding that Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah had come with Mr Karzai. “He (Abdullah) is our brother,” the president said.

Mr Karzai said they were so keen to come to Pakistan that a lot of effort had to be made to remove snow from Kabul’s runway and it was snowing when their plane took off. That was a risky affair, he added.

The president said that Pakistanis wanted Afghanistan to be a peaceful, stable, united and progressive country. A stable Afghanistan would not only serve the purpose of peace in the region but would also serve the economic interests of the entire region, he added.

The president gave a firm assurance to Mr Karzai that Pakistan would remain with Afghanistan in its endeavour to improving the lot of Afghan people. He said Pakistan would contribute its maximum to the development efforts, and rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Despite resource constraints, he pointed out, Pakistan had decided to contribute $100 million for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. He said it had been decided to issue a cheque for $10 million for cash flow which was badly needed by Afghanistan.

Welcoming Mr Karzai and his delegation of nine ministers and two governors, the president said both sides had held an in-depth and fruitful discussion on all subjects concerning bilateral relations and situation in the region.

The president said that Pakistan wished to conduct its relations with Afghanistan based on principles of sovereignty, equality, non-interference and mutual respect.

He lauded the able and sagacious leadership being provided by Mr Karzai to Afghan people at this hour of extreme need and wished him success in his efforts to turn Afghanistan into a progressive country.

Thanking President Musharraf, Mr Karzai said he (Musharraf) was the first leader to call him when the interim administration was set up, which, he added, showed Pakistan’s goodwill for Afghanistan.

Mr Karzai said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were not only bound by geography, history and culture but also by the Jihad spread over years.

He remarked that people of Pakistan had been extremely kind to provide refuge to millions of Afghans for many years during the fight against Soviets and afterwards. “And I am personally a witness to that”.

He said he wished well for the people of Pakistan and hoped that Afghans would return the goodwill shown by Pakistan in a humble way.

In reply to a question, Mr Karzai said that Afghan refugees had a home to go to but he hoped that Pakistan would allow time so that they could return in tranquillity and dignity and engage in economic activity.

He said there would be ministerial exchanges in this regard so as to prepare ground for their return to Afghanistan.

Asked about foreign prisoners in Afghanistan, including Pakistanis, Mr Karzai said: “Good guys will be freed but bad guys will not be freed”.

He told a reporter that without the support of President Musharraf it could not have been possible to defeat terrorism in the region. The January 12 speech by President Musharraf, he said, was a cornerstone of this region’s war against terrorism.

Asked how long the international forces would stay in Afghanistan, he said it would have not been possible to defeat terrorism without the help of the United States, Pakistan and international community.

“This war is not yet over so they have to go on.” People of Afghanistan wanted international security assistance force to stay, he added.

He said they were working for rebuilding institutions, bureaucracy, democracy and judiciary. The role of all the neighbours would be very important, and Afghanistan needed their cooperation for peace, economic exchange and in all areas that were to be beneficial to the people of Afghanistan and other parts of the region.

In reply to a question about a proposed gas pipeline through Afghanistan, Mr Karzai said both sides had discussed and agreed to have this pipeline as it would be a profitable venture for Afghanistan, Pakistan as well as the region.

Asked to comment on the massing of Indian troops on Pakistan borders and the tension over the Kashmir issue, Mr Karzai said his country wanted peace in the region and between India and Pakistan. His country, he said, wanted a just solution of the Kashmir issue.

The Afghan leader said President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee were courageous leaders, and hoped that they would begin a new era of peace and prosperity in the region.

Mr Karzai extended an invitation to President Musharraf to visit Afghanistan which the latter accepted.

Answering a question about his forthcoming visit to the United States, Gen Musharraf said that Pakistan looked forward to removal of sanctions and normalization of relations, especially in the field of military training and military sales.

He said he would like to address these issues in their entirety during his visit.

About the kidnapped US journalist Daniel Pearl, the president hoped for his early recovery and said the government had got some key personalities and was getting near to the kidnappers.

During the talks held earlier, the president was assisted among others by the governors of the NWFP and Balochistan.

At the Chaklala airbase, Mr Karzai was received by President Musharraf.