OXFORD, Oct 24: Afghan President Hamid Karzai predicted on Wednesday that his nation and Pakistan would be more successful in the fight against terrorism should Benazir Bhutto become the next prime minister.

The Afghan leader told Oxford University students that Afghanistan and Pakistan must cooperate sincerely in order to wipe out Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Mr Karzai said he had recently discussed closer cooperation with Ms Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan last week after eight years in exile.

“We have exactly the same idea about how we should fight extremism and terrorism together, about how to bring our two countries together as very close cooperative neighbours, he said.

Mr Karzai has accused President Gen Pervez Musharraf of doing too little to stop militant groups from training in Pakistan and from arming insurgents taking refuge in Pakistan.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan must begin to cooperate sincerely,” he said. “We must pay attention to the sanctuaries of terrorism in Pakistan.”

During his speech, Mr Karzai thanked countries such as Britain and the United States for sending troops to Afghanistan to fight insurgents, rebuild the country and train its own forces. But he urged Afghanistan’s allies to have patience, saying it could take another five or 10 years to win that battle and rebuild his country’s armed forces and police.

Journalists were not allowed to ask Mr Karzai questions at Oxford Union, a private club for students at Oxford University.—AP