'Indian missions in Kabul not subverting Pakistan'

Islamabad: Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfur Spanta on Wednesday rejected allegations that Indian consulates in Afghanistan were engaged in fomenting trouble in Pakistan.

During a joint news conference with Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmoud Qureshi, he said the four Indian consulates were set up in Afghanistan before the government of President Hamid Karazai.

"We do not allow any country to interfere in affairs of other countries from Afghanistan," he asserted in response to questions about concerns in Pakistan over the activities of the Indian consulates.

Spanta stressed that security of Pakistan and Afghanistan was inter-linked. He said Afghanistan wanted smooth relations with Pakistan regardless of the state of relations between Pakistan and India.

He said while India was Afghanistan's friend the Afghan government had the best of relations with Pakistan.

The two foreign ministers earlier held talks that centred on the war against terrorism and a planned gathering of tribal elders from border areas of the two countries as part of mutual efforts for peace in the region.

Responding to a question about the possibility of talks with the Taliban, Spanta said talks could be held only with those who laid down arms and renounced violence.

Poppy cultivation

Spanta said the two countries were cooperating with each other to defeat the menace of terrorism for peace in the region.

He agreed that poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had to be eradicated to choke funding for terrorist elements.

To a question about missile attacks inside Pakistani border areas by pilotless US drones, he said the international forces fighting terrorism had legal cover from the UN but stopped short of directly justifying the incursions.

Qureshi said it was the responsibility of the Pakistan army and other security agencies to take action if there was any militant sanctuary inside its territory. He said Pakistani forces were capable of doing so.

The Afghan foreign minister earlier called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the presidency in Islamabad.

Qureshi said President Zardari would visit Afghanistan by the end of the year.