Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington, Sep 21 (PTI) Insisting that Taliban leaders including its chief Mullah Omar had taken refuge in Pakistan, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has bluntly said that the militia will not be defeated unless Islamabad denies them a base of operation.

"The key is destroying the sources of training, equipping, financing, motivating and directing toward us in Afghanistan. And this will dry that source, which we should have done a long time back.... We will not see peace in Afghanistan. You will not see an end to the killing of your(American) soldiers in Afghanistan," he said in an interview.

Commenting on a belief in many quarters that Islamabad wants a vibrant and alive Taliban as some sort of a trump card for what may happen down the road, Karzai replied "... If they want that, then it's a serious mistake." "Instability in Afghanistan will automatically mean instability in Pakistan. And it is neither in their interest nor in our interest nor, indeed, in the interest of the international community, because that's why they're there to defeat terrorism," he said.

The Afghanistan President, who is due to meet the President George W Bush and participate in a three way summit involving the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf on September 27, insisted that Mullah Omar and other leaders of the Taliban are in Quetta or in the surrounding areas.

"Yes, they are there. We are very sure about it.... Absolutely no doubt.... And we have informed the government of Pakistan about their addresses, their places...."