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Pakistan President Zardari meets Afghanistan's Karzai | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has begun a two-day visit to Pakistan, his first trip to the country since killing of Osama Bin Laden there last month. | |
In a joint news conference, Mr Karzai and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari highlighted the strong ties between the two countries. | |
However they did not mention efforts to discuss a truce with the Taliban, after years of conflict in both countries. | |
Mr Karzai is due to meet PM Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday. | |
Strained relations | Strained relations |
Mr Karzai travelled to Pakistan at the personal invitation of Mr Zardari. In a joint news conference after their talks, the two men stressed their eagerness to fight militants together. | |
"We cannot expect to have peace in the region if we don't have peace in Afghanistan," Mr Zardari said. | |
During his visit, Mr Karzai 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. |
Correspondents said the visit would test the relations between the two neighbours, following May's raid by US Navy Seals on al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's home 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 the two governments agree on many issues, some in the Afghan government feel 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. |