Kayani says he did not broker Karzai’s talks with Haqqani

[sonicboom]

Kayani says he did not broker Karzai’s talks with Haqqani

Friday, 02 Jul, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani on Wednesday denied organising secret meetings in Kabul between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a senior al Qaeda-linked militant.

Gen Kayani’s brief statement came days after a media report claimed that he and the head of Pakistans intelligence services facilitated a meeting between Mr Karzai and Sirajuddin Haqqani, who heads the Haqqani network.

“General Ashfaq Kayani has said that during his last two visits to Kabul, he met President Karzai to discuss issues of mutual interest,” the military said in a statement.

It quoted Gen Kayani as saying that on both these occasions, recently-sacked Nato commander General Stanley McChrystal was also present. The statement, however, did not specify when the meetings took place.

“This transparent trilateral engagement augurs well for the comfort level of the leadership of all prime stake holders and strengthens the existing relationship,” Gen Kayani said.

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have been marked by distrust, but there have been growing signs of rapprochement and Mr Karzai in March welcomed an offer from Pakistan to help with peace efforts.

Karzai’s spokesman Waheed Omar had also dismissed the report that the Afghan president had a face-to-face with Haqqani in Kabul.

Haqqani network leaders are believed to be based in North Waziristan. Created by Afghan warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani and run by his son Sirajuddin the group is one of the toughest foes for foreign forces in Afghanistan, particularly in the east of the country.—AFP

DAWN.COM | Front Page | Kayani says he did not broker Karzai