ISLAMABAD, 10 September 2003 — Pakistan’s foreign minister yesterday urged the United States to do more to bring security and stability to Afghanistan and said the situation in the country has a direct impact on neighboring Pakistan. Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmoud Kasuri said the United States’ focus had shifted to Iraq, but added that Washington had given assurances to Islamabad “at the highest level” that “they will not forget Afghanistan.”

The former ruling Taleban have stepped up attacks in the south and east of Afghanistan in an apparent effort to undermine the government of President Hamid Karzai that replaced the religious regime after its ouster by US-led forces in late 2001. Afghan officials say Pakistan needs to do more to stop Taleban guerrillas from operating from its border regions and launching attacks in Afghanistan.

However, Pakistan said it was ready to do more to pacify Afghanistan’s concern that Taleban are regrouping and organizing attacks from its territory, but urged Kabul to also take more action.

“We are prepared to do more, (but) no purpose will be served by simply asking Pakistan to do more,” Kasuri said.

“Sometimes we are told to do more. In fact all of us can do more... the Americans can do more and the Afghans can do more,” he said

“Any insecurity in Afghanistan has a direct impact on Pakistan. So I am sure the US can do more. We will also try to do more,” Kasuri said. He said there was a need for a “greater exchange of information,” including between Afghan and Pakistani intelligence agencies.

He was speaking at a ceremony in the Pakistani capital to hand over the first consignment of some 5 million textbooks that Pakistan is donating to Afghanistan over the next two months.

Pakistan was a key backer of the Taleban until the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, but then abandoned the Taleban to support the US-led coalition in its war in Afghanistan.

But the current Afghan government is still deeply suspicious of Pakistan, although it has launched military operations to track down Taleban and Al-Qaeda fugitives in its border regions.

US officials have said President George W. Bush is considering an additional $1 billion in spending on rebuilding Afghanistan, roughly double the current level. US forces make up the bulk of the 11,500 coalition forces hunting Taleban and Al-Qaeda holdouts in Afghanistan.