Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday expressed confidence that his government would work closely with the new Pak prime minister to fight extremism plaguing both countries. "There is no doubt that the continuation of the war on terrorism is a priority for Afghanistan. There is no doubt that Pakistan suffers at the hands of terrorism," Karzai told a press conference.
"This is a joint struggle. If either of us comes up short in this struggle, then we will have harmed our people," he said upon his return home from a Nato summit in Bucharest.
The US-backed Afghan president said he had had "broad contacts" with the new leaders of Pakistan's coalition government, including Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and former premier Nawaz Sharif. Ties between Kabul and Islamabad have been fragile, with both accusing each other of not doing enough to tackle Islamic militants behind a wave of violence on both sides of the border.
In an address to Pakistani lawmakers upon taking office last month, Gilani pledged to make the fight against extremism his government's top priority, but offered to negotiate with those who renounce violence and give up weapons.
For his part, Karzai on Sunday reiterated his call for talks with Taliban fighters who are not linked to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, urging them to "live a peaceful life under Afghanistan's Constitution."