The worsening ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan after Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened to cross into Pakistani borders to hunt militants and an Afghan official claim that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was involved in an assassination attempt plot on Karzai have worried the expat community members of the two countries. “We need peace and want to solve problems in a conducive way,” said Naimatullah, an Afghani shoemaker in Jeddah. “We saw enough violence and aggression which resulted in poverty. Today we cannot go to our homeland because we know that life is much tough there,” he said. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two allies in the US-led war against terrorism. They accuse each other of not doing enough to discourage militant activity. The Group of Eight nations meeting in Koyoto also called on the two neighbors to join hands in fighting the militants. “Instead of being a part of blame game, both countries should think about the practical way to solve problems,” said Ashfaq Ali, a Pakistani wholesale dealer of foodstuff. “Pakistan is suffering the inner pressure from its people for not cooperating with United States as an ally of war on terrorism. Karzai should understand this situation like a good neighbor,” said Ali. Akbar Jaan, an Afghani carpet merchant, doesn't support the statement of Karzai. “I am sorry to hear those comments as Pakistan helped us a lot in the hard times. It is our good neighbor with true Islamic spirit. I love my Pakistani friends like my brothers,” he said. Karzai says that Pakistani militants cross into his country, giving Afghanistan the right to hit back and destroy their place of escape across the border. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is reported to have said the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is too long to prevent people from crossing over. The Associated Press quotes him as saying that Pakistan does not interfere in anyone else's matters, and it will not allow anyone to interfere in Pakistan's territorial limits. “It is not possible for Afghanistan as an ally of war on terrorism to take such a harsh step against another US ally,” said Azmatullah, another Afghani salesman. Karzai should reconsider bitter statements against the Muslim brother country, he said. The Afghan president specifically named Baitullah Mehsud, an Al-Qaeda-linked self-proclaimed militant leader who is based in the south Waziristan border region. “If Mehsud is responsible, Karzai should lash out his anger at him, not at Pakistan. We love Pakistan which opened its arms with motherly love for us in hard times,” said Samiullah, an Afghani shopkeeper. The new Pakistani government has recently launched a peace process in its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to seek deals with militants. But US and Afghan officials have criticized the deals, saying that they will help militants rearrange to increase cross-border attacks. Pakistan thinks it is negotiating with only those militants who are willing to give up arms. “I think that Pakistan is in right track to struggle for peace with negotiations. Otherwise, violence would only bring hatred and more aggression in response,” said Ali Iftikhar, a Pakistani salesman. __
