Karzai set to underline Pakistan’s role in peace

ISTANBUL (PAN chief, Burhanuddin Rabbani, an official said on Tuesday.

At a trilateral summit later in the day with Presidents Abdullah Gul and Asif Ali Zardari, Karzai would stress the importance of Pakistan‘s role in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan, his spokesman Aimal Faizi told Pajhwok Afghan News.

In recent months, Afghan officials say, incursions into eastern Afghanistan from Pakistani soil have caused several casualties in addition to causing damage to property in Kunar and Nuristan provinces. However, Islamabad denies the allegation as baseless.

Faizi said Karzai would reiterate his demand that Pakistan cooperate with Afghan officials in investigating ex-president Rabbani’s assassination. Kabul killed the top peace negotiator in a bomb attack on his residence on Sept. 20.

Being hosted by Gul, the tripartite process was launched in 2007, with the summits focused on promoting cooperation in regional peace, security, stability and economic development. The trilateral talks are expected to defuse tension reduce mistrust between the neighbours.

The summit will be followed by a regional conference, to be attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna and their counterparts from Pakistan, France, Germany and other countries.

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