ISLAMABAD, Feb 18: Afghan President Hamid Karzai is arriving here on Thursday with ‘new ideas’ for Afghanistan and Pakistan to take unified stance at the upcoming review of the US policy for the region where both of them have been invited.
“President of Afghanistan Mr Hamid Karzai is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad tomorrow (Thursday) for a short official visit,” Foreign Office said in a brief statement on Wednesday.
Mr Karzai will meet President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
During his talks with the Pakistani leaders, Mr Karzai would discuss issues like improvement in bilateral ties, situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the war on terror, operations against the Taliban in Pakistan’s tribal belt, peace deal with militants in Swat, forthcoming Afghan presidential polls and the security situation in the region, but the major thrust would be on the need to speak with a unified voice to the US when it reviews its policy for the region.
It is expected that Mr Karzai and Pakistan leaders would agree to stress that the planned US military surge in Afghanistan needed to be accompanied by an increase in development and political activities in the war-ton country.
They are also likely to call for implementation of the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones project in the militancy hit areas of Pakistan.
Representatives of Afghanistan and Pakistan will meet officials of the Obama administration in Washington early next month to present their views during the policy review.
President Obama is expected to unveil his new policy for the region at the Nato summit in April.
AFP adds: Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta told reporters the visit would focus largely on efforts to quell mounting extremism on both sides of the two countries’ porous border.
This included a US review of the seven-year “war on terror” that brought US trouble-shooter Richard Holbrooke to the region last week.
“We, as two neighbouring countries, want to exchange our views and thoughts and present our views about the issue,” Mr Spanta told reporters.
Also on the table would be “issues like Swat or the ceasefire,” said the minister, who is expected to join Mr Karzai in Islamabad.
A spokesman for Mr Karzai said Afghanistan was watching developments in Swat “with concern”.