Pak's Aziz seeks 'spirit of mutual trust' with Afghan

Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz today sought a "spirit of mutual trust" between Pakistan and Afghanistan to jointly tackle the "common enemy" of terrorism, a week after Taliban bombings killed 50 people in the restive country.
"The scourge of terrorism is affecting peace of the entire region. It is a common enemy that can only be effectively countered through coordinated efforts carried out in a spirit of mutual trust," the Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs said after visiting the Afghan embassy here to sign a condolence book opened by the Afghan mission.
His statement also comes a week after reports said Afghan officials were mulling to create a "safe zone" for Taliban insurgents - who have escalated their deadly winter campaign - in a bid to wean them away from sanctuaries inside Pakistan.

Pakistan, seen by many Afghans as the biggest obstacle to lasting peace, has long been accused of playing a "double game" in Afghanistan.
After years of official denial, a top Pakistani official last year admitted for the first time that the Taliban enjoys safe haven inside his country, which Islamabad uses as a "lever" to pressure the militant group into talks with Kabul.
On January 10, three terrorist attacks in Kabul, Kandahar and Helmand killed around 50 people. The attacks shattered a relative lull in violence in the war-torn country.
Aziz said Pakistan condemns the "heinous acts of terrorism in strongest terms, (and) we reiterate our cooperation to the government and people of Afghanistan in fighting this menace."

He extended sympathies to the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks, including the personnel of UAE Embassy in Afghanistan, and prayed for early recovery of the injured.