WASHINGTON, Sept 26: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met US President George W. Bush at the White House on Tuesday, has apparently softened his opposition to the North Waziristan peace deal.

“So, from our side, it’s a wait-and-see attitude,” he told a joint news conference at the White House with President Bush. “But, generally, we will back any move, any deal that will deny terrorism a sanctuary in North Waziristan or in the tribal territories of Pakistan.”

The Afghan government had earlier dismissed the deal as a licence to pro-Taliban militants to operate across the Pakistan-Afghan border, insisting that it would increase violence inside Afghanistan.

Mr Karzai said President Bush discussed Afghanistan’s relations with neighbouring Pakistan in the meeting but gave no details.

“We also discussed the region around us; discussed our relations with Pakistan and the question of the joint fight that we have together against terrorism,” he said.

In his remarks to the media, Mr Bush focused on an iftar-dinner he is hosting for the Afghan and Pakistani leaders at the White House on Wednesday.

“It’ll be a chance for us to work on how to secure the border, how we can continue to work together and share information so we can defeat extremists, how we can work together to build a future of peace and democracy in your region, Mr. President,” he said.

“I’m glad, Mr. President, that you are, tomorrow, hosting a dinner for me and President Musharraf. And I’m sure we will come out of that meeting with a lot more to talk about to our nations in a very positive way for a better future,” Mr Karzai responded.

The Afghan president said that when President Musharraf visited Kabul earlier this month, he explained the Waziristan deal to him.

“My initial impression was that this was a deal signed with the Taliban. And then later I learned that they had actually signed with the tribal chiefs.

“It will have a different meaning if it is that — signed with the tribal chiefs,” he said.

For the Afghans, he said, the ‘item number one’ in this agreement is that the terrorists will not be allowed to cross over into Afghanistan to attack the coalition forces.

“We will have to wait and see if that is going to be implemented exactly the way it is signed,” he added.

President Bush disagreed with a reporter who suggested that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan could jeopardize the hunt for Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders.

“What you perceived as tension, as stopping us from bringing high-value targets to justice — quite the contrary. We’re working as hard as ever in doing that,” he said. “From my discussions with President Karzai and President Musharraf, there is an understanding that by working together it is more likely that all of us can achieve a common objective,” said Mr Bush.

He described the common objective as the creation of “stable societies that are hopeful societies that prevent extremists from stopping progress and denying people a hopeful world. I know that’s what President Karzai thinks and I know that’s how President Musharraf thinks.”

Responding to President Karzai’s earlier allegation that Pakistan was allowing Taliban to cross into Afghanistan, President Musharraf had urged the Afghan leader to get to know his own country better when talking about where terror and Taliban threats were coming from. Asked to comment on Gen. Musharraf’s remarks, Mr Karzai said: “On the remarks of my brother, President Musharraf, Afghanistan is a country that is emerging out of so many years of war and destruction and occupation by terrorism and misery that they brought to us.