Afghan newspapers skeptical on President Karzai's visit to Pakistan

Afghan local newspapers expressed pessimism on President Hamid Karzai's visit to Pakistan on Monday. "President Karzai, during his 20th visit to Pakistan, would talk to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other Pakistani leaders on a variety of issues, including Kabul-Islamabad relations and peace talks with Taliban, but the outcome will be vain," the Daily Hasht-e-Subh writes in its editorial. Karzai left Monday morning for a one-day visit to the neighboring country Pakistan, a statement released here by his office said. "President Hamid Karzai, leading a high-level delegation, left this morning to Islamabad on a one-day visit to Pakistan at the invitation of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif," the statement said. During his visit, the Afghan leader is scheduled to meet with Pakistani prime minister, president and other Pakistani leaders during which the two sides will discuss various issues including war on terror, the Afghan peace drive and the ways and means to enhance bilateral relations in various areas, the statement added. "The Pakistani army generals would not give up their support to Taliban and nor want Taliban militants to talks with Afghan government,"the newspaper said. Another local newspaper the Daily Mandegar also focused on Karzai's tour to Islamabad and an article headlined"twentieth visit to Pakistan the 20th mistake"wrote Karzai pays his 20th visit to Pakistan amid artillery shelling from Pakistani soil on Afghanistan's eastern borders." "Officials in Afghanistan's eastern Nuristan and Kunar provinces have confirmed that Pakistani militias are responsible for targeting border areas, and the visit by president Karzai in such circumstances speaks of Pakistan's lack of cooperation with Afghan peace process,"the article wrote. The English newspaper the Daily Outlook also paid attention to Karzai's visit and termed it"difficult trip" by writing "Despite Pakistan's willingness for helping a peaceful settlement in pro- NATO Afghanistan, experts are of the view that Pakistan will continue to consider a great deal of power for the Taliban in any peace negotiations in future." "The fact remains that reaching a deal with Pakistan would be as difficult as the Afghan government efforts to reach out directly to the Taliban,"the newspaper said, adding that the Afghan government should be prepared for long and tortuous negotiations with Islamabad with a long-term approach.