ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Rejecting the tirade of accusations against Pakistan emanating from Kabul, US Secretary of State for Defence Robert Gates on Monday eulogised the contribution made by the country as an important US ally in war on terror.

"Negative comments are never productive; it is always easier to comment at a distance when you are not in the battle itself," he said while speaking at a press conference prior to leaving the federal capital after a whirlwind visit to Pakistan during which he called on President General Pervez Musharraf and discussed Afghanistan situation with him.

Answering a question, he said the US could play a constructive role in improving understanding and coordination between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"We all have mutual interest in stabilising the border and Afghanistan becoming a stable and prosperous democracy, and the US has the opportunity to play a constructive role," he remarked.

Mr Gates said during his meeting with President Musharraf, the importance of spring offensive for a strategic setback to the Taliban and Al Qaeda was highlighted.

He said he congratulated President Musharraf on his vision of enlightened moderation and encouraged him to continue his efforts.

He said Pakistan had sheltered millions of Afghan refugees for many years and a large number had already returned home. He, however, said the big number of refugees still in Pakistan posed a huge humanitarian challenge to Pakistan and to rest of the world. He said any significant repatriation would require a lot of planning, preparation and allocation of significant financial resources.

He said after the Soviets left Afghanistan, the US made a mistake. “We neglected Afghanistan and extremism took control of that country" and the US paid big price in shape of the 9/11 incident, he said. “We won't make that mistake again; we are here for a long haul," he added.

The defence secretary said he also discussed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border situation with President Musharraf. He said he thanked him for his country’s efforts to enforce the North Waziristan agreement and also expressed condolences to the families of Pakistani security forces who were killed on January 2, this year. He commended the courage and the successes of the Pakistani security forces for their efforts.

"I also talked to the president about the comments that he and others have made at the Nato's defence ministers meeting in Spain about increasing their commitments in terms of military forces, economic development and reconstruction resources for Afghanistan," he said.

About economic development in Fata, he said financial resources for the purpose had already been specified. He said the US was also supportive of the peace initiatives taken by Pakistan in Fata.

Mr Gates agreed with President Musharraf that the roots of problems lie in Afghanistan, and they were being accentuated by the cross-border movement.

In the context of Pak-US relations, he said the US desired a long-term engagement with Pakistan in all areas to the mutual benefit of both the countries.

President Musharraf reiterated Pakistan's commitment for bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He said that problems of extremism and terrorism were indigenous to Afghanistan. He said the Taliban phenomenon was a spillover from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

He stressed that all concerned, including Pakistan, the US, the Nato and the international coalition, were required to tackle this problem collectively.

President Musharraf called for return of Afghan refugees to their country and closure of refugee camps in Pakistan under a phased programme to be launched immediately.

He said the militants and terrorists sought refuge in these camps which were safe havens. The closure of these camps would deny terrorists sanctuaries and make it easier to track and bring them to justice, he added.

The president apprised the US official of the steps being taken along the porous and inhospitable Pakistan-Afghanistan border including the decision to selectively fence portions of the border. He said all these measures were a manifestation of Pakistan's sincerity and unflinching resolve to control the cross-border movement of militants and terrorists.

Referring to the peace agreement in North Waziristan, he emphasised that while the government was committed to dealing with the terrorists and extremists with a strong hand, the political process also needed to be pursued simultaneously for a sustainable solution to the problem.

The meeting was also attended by Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal and Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Tariq Waseem Ghazi.