August 20, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 17, 1429

KABUL, Aug 19: Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani made a surprise trip to Afghanistan on Tuesday for border security talks with Nato and Afghan commanders, just a day after President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation.

Gen Kayani spoke with US-installed President Hamid Karzai over the phone in Kabul on Tuesday, three officials told The Associated Press. Gen Kayani’s visit was striking in that even Afghanistan’s top leadership did not know he was coming, officials said.

But Pakistan’s military spokesman, Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said the trip was scheduled at least a month and a half ago and was part of a series of tripartite meetings designed to underpin cross-border cooperation against militants.

Earlier Tuesday, Karzai, in his first public response to Musharraf’s resignation, appealed for a fresh approach to what has often been a troubled relationship between the two neighbours.

“I wish President Musharraf all the best. We have had difficult days together, but also we had good days together. All in all, we had a good relationship,” Karzai told the AP in an interview.

“The most important thing . . . is not personalities. What is important is that we change our expectations and the way we formulate policies to meet those expectations,” he said.

Karzai has been a strident critic of sanctuaries within Pakistan where he says insurgent Taliban and other militants regroup, rearm and train to fight in Afghanistan.—AP