Afghanistan Waiting for Pakistan to Secure Border

In a meeting with President Bush, Pakistan's Prime Minister Gilani had promised to secure the border with Afghanistan and stop terrorists from infiltrating Afghanistan. Now the Afghan government wants to see some action after months of talk from the Pakistani government. Reuters

I wouldn't be holding my breath.

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan said on Tuesday that after the Pakistani prime minister made a commitment to U.S. President George W. Bush to secure the border with Afghanistan, it was now time for Pakistan to take action.

Relations between Afghanistan and its neighbor Pakistan have sharply deteriorated in recent months with Afghan officials repeatedly accusing Pakistani agents of secretly backing Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan and foreign troops on Afghan soil.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani sought to reassure Bush of his government's commitment to securing the border with Afghanistan during a visit to Washington on Monday.

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The Afghan government has told the United States and NATO allies that "the source of the terrorism in Afghanistan goes back to the sanctuaries inside Pakistan territory," Hamidzada said.

But, he said, "unfortunately we have seen a lot of talk from the Pakistani side and less action, we are hoping that they will walk the talk, it is a time to implement."

Pakistan's new civilian government has turned to talks with militants in its tribal border region in order to defuse violence that has killed hundreds of Pakistanis in the last year.

GILANI DEFENDS NEGOTIATIONS, ISI

But Afghan and NATO leaders say the talks have eased pressure on the militants allowing them to send more insurgents into Afghanistan where attacks along the eastern border are up by some 40 percent this year.