ISLAMABAD, May 30: Afghanistan has refuted reports that it was considering constructing a dam in the Kunar province on the Kabul river with Indian assistance.

A rebuttal of the reports came at a news conference by chairman Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai at the Chief Executive House on Thursday.

Responding to a question the Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah termed these reports as baseless

Earlier, the chairman called for curbing of extremism saying that it had caused immense suffering to the people of Afghanistan.

He called upon the people of Pakistan, particularly those having inclination towards the extremist elements, to visit Afghanistan to see for themselves the devastation caused by these forces.

He said that the people of Pakistan should strengthen the government of Gen Pervez Musharraf in its efforts to check extremist forces.

Afghanistan, he added, would continue the fight against terrorist and extremist elements as they had done no good to the people and to Islam.

Karzai said that they had completed all arrangements for the Loya Jirga to be held on June 10 which would elect their representatives to the next government.

He pointed out that over the past few months over 800,000 refugees had returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan, and immigrants from the United States and Europe had also been coming back.

The chairman said that normalcy and stability was fast returning to Afghanistan with the restoration of transportation, opening of educational institutions, and the establishment of free press.

Commenting on the Kashmir situation, he said, they would like to see both India and Pakistan to resolve the issue through dialogue. Any armed conflict between the two South Asian neighbours would directly affect Afghanistan, he added.