Afghanistan, Pakistan poles apart following trilateral summit over Karzai's Taliban demand fiasco

Islamabad, Feb 18 (ANI): Afghan President Hamid Karzai's blunt demand to Pakistan for bringing Taliban leaders to the negotiating table has shocked the political and military leadership in Islamabad, keeping both countries poles apart in terms of reconciliation with the Taliban even after two days of high-level talks.

"Deliver Mullah Omar? If that is the expectation, then there's no reality check then. Then they're not only unrealistic, but preposterous," these were the words of Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar over Karzai's demands.

Khar's words on Friday summed up how a trip hailed by Karzai as the most important in the past decade concluded without any solution, The Express Tribune reports.

Pakistan was quick to play down the hype of its role, saying that, even though it is in favour of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process, it has never spelt out its strategy.

A wide range of issues including counter-terrorism and other regional matters were discussed between President Asif Ali Zardari, President Hamid Karzai and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the trilateral summit.

Zardari brushed aside allegations that Pakistan's security establishment was supporting the Taliban in attacks against coalition forces stationed in Afghanistan.

"I deny this notion that any of our armed forces are directly or indirectly involved," Zardari added. (ANI)