26 January 2004	Monday	03 Zilhaj 1424

KABUL, Jan 25: Recent assassination attempts on President Gen Pervez Musharraf have demonstrated that Pakistan and Afghanistan have common enemies, a Pakistani leader and an Afghan spokesman said on Sunday.

"In December there were two assassination attempts on President Musharraf and these are the common enemies, these are the people who want to destabilize Pakistan and Afghanistan, they want to destabilize the region," Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) Secretary-General Saleem Saifullah Khan said during a visit to Kabul.

He is leading a six-member PML-Q delegation that met Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah on Sunday and will meet President Hamid Karzai and other cabinet members.

"Already we have very close relations and the purpose of the visit is to intensify those," he said. He said Mr Abdullah would visit Pakistan soon. "I think it is realized now in Pakistan that we are facing a joint enemy and the dangers facing the two counties, especially terrorism, are affecting both countries and we should fight them together," Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Omar Samad said.

"Peace and stability in Afghanistan is good for peace and stability in Pakistan. We have reached an era (during which) we hope we will be able to tackle our problems from a joint viewpoint and position," he added.-AFP