By Daniel Bases
LONDON (Reuters) - Afghanistan needs to do more to help stop Islamist rebels from using the border area with Pakistan as a sanctuary, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Tuesday.
U.S. and Afghan forces along the border are regularly harried by Taliban insurgents, Central Asian Islamist militants and al Qaeda remnants. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is widely believed to be hiding somewhere in Pakistan.
"The point we are making which is not to point fingers, merely stating fact, is that it takes two to tango.
Both sides have to do their part. We hope and pray more action will be taken on the other side," Aziz said in response to a question after a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
"We recognize the challenges. We recognize the multiplicity of forces there, the challenges that exist, the lack of infrastructure, but I think the world needs to address this so that it is a joint effort on both sides," he added.
Pro-Taliban rebels launched attacks on Pakistani positions in the lawless Waziristan area on Saturday as U.S. President George W. Bush was meeting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the capital to galvanize efforts in the war on terrorism.
The semi-autonomous ethnic Pashtun lands along the Afghan border that include Waziristan are Pakistan's front line in the war on terrorism.
"Pakistan ... has moved about 8,000 troops who are there to seek out such elements who are disturbing the people of the region," Aziz said.
"The numbers today show more activity on this (Pakistani) side than on the other (Afghan) side," Aziz said, stressing that Pakistan was making concerted efforts to crush the militants.
In his formal remarks, Aziz said his government fully supported the Afghan government and that resolving armed conflict in the region was the key to bolstering economic growth and stability.
"We have provided unrestricted trade access to Afghanistan and our bilateral trade this year will start at $1.5 billion. it was only $25 million five years ago," he said.
"This tells you why Afghanistan and Pakistan have strategic interests which are common. If Afghanistan does well, if they prosper, it helps us. If they don't do well, we will both pay the price for it."
