Let Kabul be under U.N. charge: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 13. Pakistan today said that the Northern Alliance must not occupy Kabul and, pending the establishment of a political set-up acceptable to all Afghans and friendly to the neighbouring countries, it should remain a demilitarised city under the control of a U.N. peacekeeping force or a multinational force, authorised by the U.N. Council.

In a carefully-worded statement released at the regular press briefing, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Mr. Aziz Khan, said ``we have seen reports of the withdrawal of the Taliban from Kabul and takeover by the forces of the Northern Alliance. It is our hope that calm prevails and bloodshed is avoided. Pakistan holds to the view that the Northern Alliance forces must not occupy Kabul.''

Right from the day the U.S. launched its military offensive against Afghanistan on October 7, Pakistan has been maintaining that no one group or faction in the country should be allowed to march to Kabul. The reference was to the Northern Alliance as it was the only force fighting the Taliban on the ground and was being helped by the U.S. and its allies besides a number of other countries.

There was a major shift in Pakistan's stance towards the Northern Alliance and it appears to have been influenced by the fact that the Alliance has come to occupy the centre stage thanks to the assistance it received in recent days from the U.S. and other quarters.

Relations between Islamabad and the Northern Alliance have been strained for a variety of reasons. Pakistan sees the Alliance as a group aided and abetted by various countries opposed to the interests of Pakistan, including India.

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