Musharraf: Pak-Afghan joint peace jirga a good beginning

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf (L) and Afghan President Hamid Karzai (R) attend a peace "jirga", or gathering, in Kabul August 12, 2007. Musharraf acknowledged on Sunday Afghan militants were operating from Pakistani soil, as he and Karzai vowed joint efforts to fight Taliban and al Qaeda.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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    ISLAMABAD, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf said Sunday that the holding of the Pak-Afghan Joint Peace Jirga in the Afghan capital of Kabul was "a good beginning" and it would help ensure peace and security in Afghanistan and the bordering areas of Pakistan.

    "The joint declaration and the formation of a 50-member committee is a step in right direction but it is not an end in itself rather a beginning of peace process," he told journalists at the Chaklala airbase near the Pakistani capital on his return from Afghanistan.

    Musharraf expressed the confidence that the 50-member committee proposed by the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Jirga would engage opposing forces in Afghanistan in a political dialogue to push the peace process forward.

    "The formation of the committee with 25 members from each side is a step in the positive direction and the committee should engage warring forces in Afghanistan to bring the terrorism and extremism to an end," he said.

    However, Musharraf added that the people to be included in the committee should have credibility and standing so that they were able to engage the opposing forces in a dialogue process to ensure peace in the area.

    He said that the joint jirga attended by 700 delegates with 350each from the two countries provided an opportunity of interaction between them to find ways and means to ensure peace in the region.

    Replying to a question, Musharraf described his visit as successful and said that he talked to Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the need for trust building as mutual bickering would impede progress towards establishment of peace and security.

    On Wednesday, Musharraf called Karzai to inform him that he could not personally attend the jirga in Kabul because of domestic "engagements".

    Instead, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz addressed the inaugural session Thursday representing Pakistan.

    Karzai telephoned Musharraf Friday evening and invited him to attend the closing session of the Joint Peace Jirga.