Islamabad, Mar 22: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will make his second official visit to Pakistan this weekend against the backdrop of a massive hunt for fugitive Taliban in Pakistan's tribal regions. Karzai will meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali during the two-day visit that begins today .He will also attend national day celebrations. Pakistan abandoned support for Afghanistan's hardline Taliban regime following the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the US, but 18 months on there are still expressions of concern from Kabul about support here for the deposed religious militia.
In conservative regions of Pakistan that border Afghanistan, religious parties openly say they would harbor fugitive Taliban and al-Qaeda. There have even been demonstrations against the arrest of al-Qaeda suspects in Pakistan.
Caught in the middle of tensions between India and Pakistan, who are both jockeying for influence in southern Afghanistan, Karzai is trying to balance his relationships and keep a neutral position, western diplomatic sources told a news agency. Iran and Russia are seeking to establish influence in Afghanistan, and Iran is particularly interested in countering US influence in the area, diplomats here say on the usual condition of anonymity.

Bureau Report