KABUL, Oct 18: Afghanistan on Saturday rejected charges levelled by Pakistan suggesting that India had set up terrorist training camps in its territory, local television reported.

“The Afghan Deputy Interior Minister, and acting interior minister, Hilaluddin Hilal rejected the Pakistani interior minister’s claims that India has terror camps inside Afghanistan,” Kabul TV said.

“Afghanistan is fighting terrorists and won’t allow anybody to use Afghan territory for terrorist purposes,” it quoted Hilal as saying. “There are coalition forces fighting terrorism in Afghanistan; if there are any terrorist camps ... Whether they belong to India or any other country they cannot be kept a secret from them,” he said.

“Afghanistan is fighting ... terrorism itself and ... wants better and friendly relations with its neighbours.”

Pakistani Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat on Thursday said: “There are six terrorist camps where Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing trains Pakistani dissidents and like-minded Afghans to stir ethnic and sectarian unrest and carry out attacks in Pakistan,” Mr Hayat said.

CANADIAN PM: Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien arrived on Saturday in Afghanistan to visit troops from his country serving as part of a Nato-led peacekeeping force and for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Under tight security, Mr Chretien visited Canadian forces based in the southwestern part of Kabul. With an estimated 1,900 soldiers, Canada has the single largest contingent in the 5,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The ISAF draws its troops from 30 countries and was sent to provide security for Kabul and its surrounding areas on the basis of a United Nations mandate after the ouster of the Taliban government 2001.

In an address to his compatriots, Mr Chretien said Canada would continue to help Afghanistan and prevent it from again becoming a “victim of terrorism and extremism”, but noted the risks the soldiers faced.—AFP/Reuters