ISLAMABAD, June 29: Afghan Transport Minister Inayatullah Qasmi has reiterated his government’s allegation that Pakistan is providing refuge to Taliban and is involved in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan.

Talking to journalists here on Wednesday after the ceremony to hand over 23 buses to Kabul, he said he stood by the statement of the Kabul administration that Pakistan was involved in sponsoring Taliban-led attacks and providing them shelter.

Referring to recent arrest of three Pakistanis on the charge of planning to kill US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmey Khalilzad, Mr Qasmi claimed that the arrests were an evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in Taliban attacks in his country.

The statement from the Afghan minister in Islamabad came despite the fact that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had recently talked to Afghan President Hamid Karzai on telephone twice to express concern over similar allegations by the Afghan authorities.

Answering a question about a recent allegation of the Afghan government that Osama bin Laden and some of his leading comrades were hiding in Pakistan, the minister said he did not want to comment as he did not deal with such issues.

He said terrorism needed to be uprooted and Afghanistan and Pakistan were committed to eliminate the menace. He added Afghanistan wanted greater economic ties with Pakistan and a boost in the economies of the two countries would help reduce unemployment and ultimately help minimize terrorism in the region.

He said Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan had gone up to $1 billion in 2004 from $30 million during the Taliban regime and the trade balance was in the favour of Pakistan.

He said the purpose of his visit to Islamabad was to discuss with Pakistani authorities the issue of smooth transportation between Pakistan and Afghanistan as currently there were many obstacles.