Pakistan stands firm

Press, 9 March 1988, Page 10

Pakistan stands firm

STEPHEN WEEKS

NZPA-Reuter Geneva Pakistan is standing firm at talks in Geneva on war-torn Afghanistan, saying the Soviet-backed Kabul Government must be replaced if a nearly completed United Nations peace plan is to work.

“We feel the formation of an interim government is as important as signing a treaty,” Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zain Noorani, told reporters. Fresh from consultations in Islamabad, he was asked after the second week of talks began whether progress was made.

“I don’t have to make any progress,” Mr Noorani said. “The other side has got to make progress.” Pakistan and Afghanis-

tan have virtually agreed on a four-point Ljnited Nations peace plan, yvhich includes the withdrawal of about 115,000 Soviet troops from Afghan jsoil. Moscow ordered troops across the Afghan border in December, 1970, to prop up a Communist Government struggling to control a guerrilla war by Muslim insurgents. I The conflict erupted ] after Communist forces seized power in April, 1978. In spite of recent] pressure by the United States and the Soviet Unibn on the various parties in the region to settle the war, Islamabad has stood firm on its demand that a new, broad-based coalition government take power in Kabul. Without such a coalition, Pakistan fears three million Afghan refugees

and numerous well-armed guerrilla groups along its north-west border will refuse to return home.

A representative of one guerrilla group told reporters in Geneva the United Nations plan served only the interests of the super-Powers and, without a new coalition government, his faction would fight on. Abdul Kadir, whose Hezb-i-Islami party is a member of the sevenparty guerrilla coalition, said the Islamic funda-

mentalist faction would never accept the Kabul Government of President Najibullah.

"The main object of such an agreement between the imperialist powers is to stop a Muslim Government from coming to 'power in Afghanistan,” he said.