ISLAMABAD, May 2: The Netherlands on Tuesday called for increased intelligence sharing between Pakistani authorities and Dutch troops whose deployment is being beefed up in southern Afghanistan. Some 400 Dutch military personnel are already deployed in Uruzgan province and an additional 1,400 will be joining them in the summer as part of Nato’s 18,500-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot expressed concern over the increase in suicide bombings in Afghanistan.
At a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, Mr Bot said he had requested Islamabad to extend cooperation to Dutch forces in Afghanistan. “The request I made is that in the exchange of information we be as open as frank as possible, because we are concerned by the increase of the suicide bombers,” Mr Bot said and added: “That of course constitutes a direct threat to the safety of our troops.”
Mr Bot said that since tribes on the both sides of the porous frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan had contacts, Pakistan could share its intelligence with Dutch troops about possible militant activity.
The additional Dutch soldiers would be part of a civil-military provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Uruzgan and take part in reconstruction activities, he said. “We are not there (Afghanistan) to fight, we are there for stabilisation and reconstruction,” the Dutch minister said.
Mr Kasuri said that Pakistan had already deployed 80,000 troops in its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and his country was ready to fence and mine the frontier and extend all possible help.
The two ministers also signed an agreement to further boost relations between the Netherlands and Pakistan.—AFP
ISLAMABAD, May 2: The Netherlands on Tuesday called for increased intelligence sharing between Pakistani authorities and Dutch troops whose deployment is being beefed up in southern Afghanistan. Some 400 Dutch military personnel are already deployed in Uruzgan province and an additional 1,400 will be joining them in the summer as part of Nato’s 18,500-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
