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ISLAMABAD: The leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday vowed to fight the scourge of terrorism and to expand their cooperation to establish peace in the violence-wracked region.
Following talks in Islamabad between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari focused on efforts to broker peace with the Taliban, the leaders emphasised the common nature of their struggle.
“It is Pakistan's war, we are fighting our own war, these are the people who are killing our children, killing our brothers and sisters,” Zardari said in a joint press conference with Karzai, referring to Pakistan's battle against extremists.
“We support the people and the government of Afghanistan. We support them. We cannot expect peace in the region without peace in Afghanistan,” he added.
Karzai said the relationship between the neighbouring countries had improved.
“Twins are as we are, the suffering is the same and the joy will be the same,” he said.
“The struggle (to fight terror) is the struggle of all and the victory will be in the interests of all,” he added.
Karzai arrived with a delegation of cabinet ministers, security chiefs and members of a peace council.
Former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who heads Karzai's High Council for Peace, urged Pakistan to help end the conflict in Afghanistan after talks with pro-Taliban cleric Fazlur Rehman, who heads a prominent Islamic party.
“Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is an important party and has influence in all of the Afghan Taliban. We want a political solution and are here to seek their support to establish peace in Afghanistan,” Rabbani said.
Rehman said his party fully supported a political solution and negotiations with “all stakeholders”.
Karzai's office said the visit would culminate in a first meeting of an Afghan-Pakistani peace commission, scheduled on Saturday.
On Saturday, he is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the joint peace commission will meet before Karzai gives a news conference at around 1:15 pm (0815 GMT).
