Pak, Afghan hold jirga on terror

By OUR PAKISTAN CORRESPONDENT

Islamabad

Oct. 27: Pakistan foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said Pakistan was committed to fighting terrorism and extremism shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan. "Pakistan is committed to ensure peace in the region and to fight the menace of extremism and terrorism with the cooperation of neighbourly countries and the world community. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan face the problem of terrorism and together they need to face the challenge," Mr Qureshi said.

Addressing the inaugural session of two-day mini-jirga that began here, Mr Qureshi said, "The mini-jirga would be instrumental in shaping up the ways to tackle rising militant violence."

The event was also attended by officials and delegates from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani and Afghan officials and tribal leaders have gathered to find ways to end mounting violence along their troubled border. The two-day meeting has been dubbed "mini-jirga" as it is a smaller follow-up to the traditional "jirga" or tribal meeting held between the two neighbours in August 2007.

The meeting features 50 members — 25 from each side — including government officials, representatives of political parties and members of the ethnic Pashtun tribes that straddle the Afghan-Pakistan border.