Pakistan, USA: Future Afghan Government Must Represent All Political Forces Of The Country

All political forces in Afghanistan - ex-king Mohammed Zahir Shah, the moderate wing of the Taliban, the Northern Alliance and Afghan political emigres - must take part in the formation of the future government of Afghanistan. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf made this statement at a press conference which he gave jointly with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell following the first round of their negotiations. Musharraf said that the military operation, which he said must be short enough, should be followed by political construction, which has actually begun, to form a government of a broadly based coalition, in which the moderate wing of the Taliban movement can also take part. Secretary of State Powell voiced a similar point of view. Musharraf expressed the hope that Afghanistan will soon be provided large-scale support for restoring its ruined infrastructure, agriculture and economy, which will let millions of refugees return home from Pakistan and Iran, as well as from various regions in Afghanistan where they had to flee from the war. This will largely help eradicate the basis for future terrorists, the Pakistani president said.