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Pakistan peeved over Afghan ministers' visit to India

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Pakistan on Tuesday rejected the 'irresponsible statements and insinuations' being made by the Northern Alliance leaders against the country, and claimed that its relations with Afghanistan would not be 'spoiled' by the allegations.

"We have no reason to believe that we will not have good relations with the new administration once it takes office in Afghanistan. One or two leaders making statements of the kind that they are making can best be ignored," foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said.

His comments came in the wake of two Afghan minister-designates choosing to make New Delhi their first destination after the ouster of Taliban regime, and their criticism of Islamabad for interfering in Kabul's affairs.

Khan claimed that Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan 'are far too stronger to be spoiled by such allegations'.

Afghanistan's Interior Minister-designate Younis Qanooni had visited New Delhi last week during which he met senior leaders, while Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah is scheduled to hold talks with the Indian leadership during his two-day visit from Wednesday.

Khan said President Pervez Musharraf has already spoken to the Afghan interim administration Prime Minister-designate Hamid Karzai over the phone, and both leaders have expressed desire to have friendly ties between the two countries.

Khan said, "Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan were spread over centuries and Afghan people remember the sacrifices made by Pakistan in housing over three million Afghan refugees. Afghans are good and proud people. They stand by their friends. They cannot be spoiled by irresponsible statements here and there. These ties are very strong and they would be further strengthened in future."

While Pakistan appeared embarrassed by the visit of the Northern Alliance leaders to New Delhi, and their criticism of its support to Taliban, media managers in Islamabad directed their ire against the Indian and international media for publishing stories of Pakistan's military presence in Afghanistan.

Pakistan Defence spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi said these allegations were made by 'frustrated Indian establishment' and carried by Indian newspapers, which were later picked up by the international media.

He said reports of Pakistan airlifting its troops in Afghan city of Kunduz before it fell to Northern Alliance forces were devoid of truth.

Similarly, he said, the media published 'false' reports of two nuclear scientists being sent to Myanmar to protect them from being interrogated by US agencies.

Khan said Pakistan would prosecute the Pakistanis returning from Afghanistan, but was not sure what specific charges would be levelled against them.

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