Musharraf Confers With Iranian Officials Over Afghan Crisis

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf Wednesday in Tehran conferred with senior Iranian officials ways to handle the ongoing Afghan crisis, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

Musharraf paid a two-hour visit to Iran on his way to New York for a UN General Assembly special meeting, scheduled for November 8-10.

During his meeting with Iran's first Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Musharraf reiterated the need for Islamic countries to take "prudent decisions" over the crisis, calling for a fundamental campaign against "extremist views."

Musharraf also stressed that the current differences in the world should be settled through justice and assistance from the United Nations, IRNA said.

On his part, Aref called for closer cooperation between Islamabad and Tehran "in order to reach better understanding and make appropriate decisions" on the Afghan crisis.

Aref also echoed Iranian officials' call for an immediate end to the ongoing bombardment in Afghanistan and the establishment of peace and security in the war-shattered country.

Iran is ready to cooperate with the UN and neighboring countries in this respect, the vice president said.

Aref also renewed calls for "a specific and comprehensive definition for terrorism," saying that the world has to launch a fundamental fight against and eradicate this evil phenomenon.

Before traveling on to New York, Musharraf will also make brief visits to France and Britain for talks with French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the situation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan and Iran, both neighbors of Afghanistan, are facing a critical situation due to possible influx of a large number of Afghan refugees fleeing the US-led military strikes.

The US has been pounding the Afghan ruling Taliban militia since October 7 for harboring Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.






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