KABUL, May 7: Pakistan could do more in the fight against terrorism, Afghanistan’s foreign minister said on Sunday after Islamabad rejected as ‘absurd’ a similar statement by a top US counter-terrorism official n Saturday.

Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, sworn in last week, said however that Afghanistan appreciated Pakistan’s cooperation against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants trying to topple the Afghan government.

“I think our brother country Pakistan can do something more against terrorism but I am very happy that we have had very strong cooperation against terrorism and for security and stability-building in Afghanistan,” Mr Spanta told reporters.

“We know the sources of terrorism are outside Afghanistan. To have sustainable success in this region, I think it is immediately necessary that we work together and closely with Pakistan against terrorism.”

Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, who addressed the media briefing with Mr Spanta, said an exchange of intelligence about the cross-border movement of militants was vital.

It was “obvious that there is a coming and going of Taliban from Pakistan into Uruzgan (province) and of course the Taliban are also established in Uruzgan itself,” he said.

The Netherlands is due to deploy around 1,400 troops to Uruzgan in the coming months in a decision which faced some resistance in the European country.—AFP