More than 2,000 people voiced support here on Wednesday for a government plan for talks between tribes on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border aimed at ending the Taliban insurgency.
Religious leaders, tribal chiefs and villagers gathered in the eastern town of Khost to declare their support for the proposal by President Hamid Karzai late last month.
"We strongly support the proposal by Karzai to hold jirgas between tribes on the two sides of the border," read a declaration signed by tribal leaders at the meeting. Karzai made the proposal during a visit with Pervez Musharraf and US President George W. Bush in Washington.
The proposal was accepted, he told reporters after his return, adding it was a "very efficient way of preventing terrorists from cross-border activities or from trying to have sanctuaries".