Libya makes 'offer' to Pak. on Afghanistan

By Amit Baruah

ISLAMABAD, MAY 15. What is the Libyan interest in Afghanistan? Within days of a visit by the Pakistani Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, to Tripoli, the Libyan Foreign Minister, Mr. A. R. M. Shalqum, is touring Pakistan and has offered to help restore peace in Afghanistan.

This ``offer'' was made by the visiting Minister when he called on the Chief Executive on Sunday. (Gen. Musharraf left on a two- day visit to Turkmenistan today).

Mr. Shalqum is also said to have extended Libya's support to Pakistan's efforts to resume talks with India and hoped they would be able to resolve the Kashmir dispute on the basis of ``U.N. resolutions''.

In a related development, Mr. Saeed Haqqani, Taliban ``ambassador'' to Pakistan, has claimed that a Libyan delegation would soon visit Afghanistan to assess the economic problems of that country. Mr. Haqqani was quoted as saying that a Taliban delegation led by the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Jalil, met the visiting Libyan Foreign Minister and discussed the issue of improving bilateral relations.

Western nations, known to be critical of Libya, have maintained a stoic silence about Gen. Musharraf's visit to Tripoli. Neither have they commented on Mr. Shalqum's visit here and his contacts with the Taliban.

Privately, however, there is some concern over the recent contacts between Pakistan and Libya and the curiosity about the nature of these contacts.

Libya has so far not extended recognition to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan so its interest in the reconstruction of that country is somewhat quaint.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Next     : Indian scientist wins Australian award