India is friend, Pakistan twin brother: Karzai

Islamabad, March 11: Afghan President Hamid Karzai Thursday described India as a friend and Pakistan as twin brother of Afghanistan, which could not be stable without Islamabad's cooperation.

India has gone out of the way to help Afghanistan. But Pakistan is twin brother of Afghanistan and without cooperation from Pakistan, there could be no stability, Karzai said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here.

"We are fighting against terrorism; I brought message from people of Afghanistan to the people of Pakistan," he said and assured Pakistani leaders that his country would never allow its soil to be used against Pakistan, Geo News reported.

Karzai said, "We want future with no terrorism" and peace is not likely to be restored in Afghanistan without the help from Pakistan.

Gilani said that Pakistan will enhance its cooperation with Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorism and bilateral ties between the two countries would be furthered.

The prime minister said Pakistan will extend all possible help to Afghanistan for its reconstruction and the trade volume between the two countries would also be ramped up.

"We want to take the strategic partnership with Afghanistan forward," he said.