LONDON, Dec 12: British foreign secretary Jack Straw has termed Pakistan’s support in fighting terrorism as of “huge benefit” and said international community would not forget its role.

“The steadfast role your country (Pakistan) has played has been of huge benefit in this fight against terrorism. The world will not forget that Pakistan took this courageous stand,” Jack Straw said in an article he wrote for the Pakistani press.

“Pakistan deserves great praise for the wisdom and courage it showed by joining this international coalition,” said Straw.

He said that there was still much to do. The three-track approach of diplomatic, humanitarian and military efforts will continue. He said the military campaign must continue until the scourge of Al Qaeda is finally removed from Afghanistan.

Referring to the new setup in Afghanistan he said that soon after induction of the interim authority in Kabul on Dec 22, “our plan is to consult them on their early priorities for rebuilding Afghanistan’s shattered infrastructure.

He said one of the “most urgent priorities is security for the interim administration”. Ultimately, the responsibility for providing security and law and order throughout the country rests with the Afghan people themselves. But it will take some time for the security forces to be fully up and running, the British foreign secretary said.

In the meantime, the parties at the Bonn Talks asked the UN security council to mandate a multinational force to keep the peace in and around Kabul and other urban centres.

The UN security council has to consider how best to meet these needs, said Straw.

The diplomatic effort must go on to provide the fledgling Afghan state with the international backing it needs. Britain will certainly play its part in this effort, he said.

He said the humanitarian effort is still urgently needed to save lives through the harsh Afghan winter. Years of war have left millions in Afghanistan dependent on aid to survive.—APP