Pak ready to help resolve row

Pak ready to help resolve row
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

kARACHI, DECEMBER 21: Pakistan is ready to help resolve the row between the United States and Afghanistan over indicted terrorist Osama bin Laden, Pakistan's Interior Minister said.

``It is originally a matter between the US and Afghanistan. They should hold negotiations with Afghanistan, but if they think we could resolve the issue then we will extend whatever support we can,'' Moinudeen Haider said.

``First those governments should hold negotiations and listen to each other's point of view,'' the retired Army general said. ``Then we will try our best to resolve the issue.''

Washington wants Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia to hand over bin Laden, a billionaire Saudi dissident who is on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. Bin Laden has been charged in the United States with the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August last year in which 224 people died. But the Taliban refused to hand over bin Laden, saying that would breach their traditional cultural obligations to a guest. TheUnited Nations slapped financial and aviation sanctions on the Taliban last month in another effort to win the extradition of bin Laden.

``We think there should be a direct dialogue between the two if America believes that Osama is a terrorist and should not live in Afghanistan,'' Haider said. ``Pakistan never believes in a policy of interference.'' Haider said Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in October, was committed to putting an end to terrorism as a ``priority''. He said Islamabad was trying to stop the flow from Afghanistan of fundamentalist Islamists intent on terrorism against the West.

``We are trying our best to stop such people from crossing the borders into Afghanistan and nor should such people come into Pakistan,'' Haider said. ``We are also in touch with Taliban regarding this,'' he said. ``We will never support terrorism whether it is homegrown or foreign sponsored''. But he noted the powerful links between Pakistan and Afghanistan. ``Afghansare our brothers and we extend help as we have been providing them the facility of using our sea port for supply of food and other items,'' Haider said. ``It is the world's responsibility to help Afghans so there could be peace and economic activity should be initiated''.

Laden has no phone, fax -- Taliban
ISLAMABAD, DECEMBER 21: Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia said on Tuesday they have taken away all access to telephone and fax machines from indicted terrorist Osama bin Laden. But the Taliban refused to hand over the billionaire Saudi dissident.

``Just to bring down the concerns of the international community we have taken communications from him,'' Sayed Mohammad Haqqani, Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, told a Press conference. ``He is living as a free person but under some controls,'' Haqqani said.

The bearded Taliban official, dressed in a white turban and the traditional shalwar kameez baggy trousers and shirt, insisted bin Laden was planning no terrorist activities. ``We areconfident of one thing and that is that Osama carries out no activities,'' he said. ``He is just a guest, he cannot act against anyone. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is anti-terrorism and always has announced its readiness for cooperation with the world community in this concern.''

The ambassador said he knew nothing about the arrest of a string of suspects in Jordan, believed to be linked to bin Laden. Last week Pakistan extradited to Jordan the suspected mastermind of a terrorist network believed to be linked to the Saudi dissident. Jordan has arrested another 13 suspected terrorists.