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| Hamid Karzai heading for Pakistan talks | Hamid Karzai heading for Pakistan talks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to begin a two-day visit to Pakistan, his first trip to the country since last month's killing of Osama Bin Laden. | |
| Mr Karzai will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. | Mr Karzai will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. |
| Both leaders are expected to focus on stepping up efforts to negotiate a political truce with the Taliban, after years of conflict in both countries. | Both leaders are expected to focus on stepping up efforts to negotiate a political truce with the Taliban, after years of conflict in both countries. |
| But correspondents expect few breakthroughs in Islamabad. | But correspondents expect few breakthroughs in Islamabad. |
| Strained relations | Strained relations |
| Mr Karzai is travelling to Pakistan at a personal invitation from Mr Zardari. | Mr Karzai is travelling to Pakistan at a personal invitation from Mr Zardari. |
| The Afghan leader is expected once again to urge Taliban militants to stop their attacks and join peace negotiations. | The Afghan leader is expected once again to urge Taliban militants to stop their attacks and join peace negotiations. |
| A joint peace commission involving officials from both Afghanistan and Pakistan is also scheduled to meet. | A joint peace commission involving officials from both Afghanistan and Pakistan is also scheduled to meet. |
| The summit will also test strained relations between the two neighbours, following May's raid by US Seals on al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad. | The summit will also test strained relations between the two neighbours, following May's raid by US Seals on al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad. |
| Several officials in Kabul have suggested that the raid showed that the war on terror would be better fought in Pakistan than in Afghanistan. | Several officials in Kabul have suggested that the raid showed that the war on terror would be better fought in Pakistan than in Afghanistan. |
| The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad says that while there are commonalities between the two countries, there are many in the Afghan government who feel that Pakistan is playing something a double game, by harbouring Afghan militants. | |
| The visit also comes as Washington is expected to announce within weeks a decision on US troops reduction this year in Afghanistan. | The visit also comes as Washington is expected to announce within weeks a decision on US troops reduction this year in Afghanistan. |
| Last week, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in Kabul the Afghan authorities should take more responsibility for the country's security before a planned withdrawal of all US and other foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. | Last week, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in Kabul the Afghan authorities should take more responsibility for the country's security before a planned withdrawal of all US and other foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. |