ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: Pakistan on Saturday expressed the confidence that the United Nations would soon get all Afghan groups together and a transitional government is formed to avoid civil war in Afghanistan.

“We find it urgent to call a meeting of Afghan groups so that a broad-based, multi-ethnic government is set in place in Afghanistan soon,” Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told a daily press briefing.

In reply to a question, he said all those Afghan groups who intended to make their contribution towards the multi-ethnic process should be invited.

Pakistan’s position, he stated, was that Kabul should be demilitarized and a multi-ethnic force should take it over so that an interim government got inducted and no infighting erupted or any past atrocity recurred.

He said that Pakistan had in the past supported the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference and Six-plus-Two efforts for such a government in that country. He was optimistic that such an arrangement would be worked out soon.

In reply to a question, Mr Khan said that Pakistan was in contact with various Afghan groups but added that with the Northern Alliance leadership, it had no recent contact.

Pakistan would not grant political asylum to Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mulla Mohammad Omar, the spokesman said.

The remarks came a day after reports that Osama had slipped over the border into Pakistan to escape the US bombing.

The spokesman dismissed a question whether Pakistan would grant asylum to the two if they sought it under the relevant Geneva convention.

“The Geneva convention cannot be applied so simply that everybody can (get asylum),” Mr Khan said.

“Asylum is given to those who you think should be given asylum. The country giving asylum takes a decision under international laws as well as its own laws,” he said.

“So far as these persons you have mentioned, we have made it clear they will not be given asylum,” Mr Khan said of Mulla Omar and Osama.—Agencies