KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan urged neighboring Pakistan to do more to curb militancy on their shared frontier, drawing an angry rebuke from Islamabad which has deployed 80,000 soldiers to the region.| You'd think 80,000 soldiers could put a dent in the problem ... |
They are among tens of thousands Pakistani soldiers deployed in its tribal regions to counter increased attacks on Pakistani forces, hunt extremists at large in the region and stop militants crossing back and forth across the border.
But Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman on Tuesday demanded Pakistan increase efforts to curb terrorism in their frontier region that stretches 2,450 kilometers (1,470 miles). “We demand more and better cooperation from Pakistan, as well as the international community, against terrorism,” Karzai spokesman Rahim Karimi told reporters. “Afghanistan should shake hands as friends with Pakistan and work together in the struggle against terrorism.”
Afghan officials suspect sections of PakistanÂ’s secret services may still be aiding extremist elements inside Afghanistan, claims Pakistan denies.