KABUL, Sept 6: President Pervez Musharraf has expressed the confidence that his visit and exchange of views with Afghan President Hamid Karzai will reinforce mutual understanding and further strengthen and expand bilateral ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He was speaking at a banquet hosted in his honour by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul tonight.

The president said Pakistan and Afghanistan enjoyed a very special relationship which is unique. They have shared history, common faith and culture and there is fellow feeling among our people, he added.

As reconstruction of Afghanistan was concerned, he said, Pakistan would continue to make contributions. He noted bilateral cooperation in economic sector that has expanded.

The president said Pakistan and Afghanistan were facing domestic, regional and international challenges and many challenges were common. Therefore, he emphasised that the two countries must not allow misperceptions and they should dedicate themselves to revitalize their ties.

Welcoming President Musharraf, Karzai called for expansion of economic and trade relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said this will lead not only to a better life for the people of their countries but will also have a strong positive impact on the region’s prosperity as a whole. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan could fight terrorism and drug smuggling. “If we manage to clean the region from the menaces of terrorism and narcotics, we will begin a new era of security, confidence, happiness and prosperity,” he added.—APP