Sanctions to cause tragedy, fears Sattar
Pakistan freezes Taliban's accounts
Islamabad for multi-ethnic govt in Kabul

Frontier Post

ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar Tuesday disclosed that Pakistan had closed branches of Afghan banks on its soil and frozen Taliban's bank accounts to implement the UN Security Council resolution calling for economic sanctions against Afghanistan.
"This is the requirement of the UN Charter and under the sanctions, Pakistan has closed branches of Afghan banks on its soil and frozen bank accounts of Taliban. We are also taking action with regard to Afghan property here and that its earnings should not go to Kabul," he said in an interview with IRNA a day before Chief Executive General Musharraf's visit to Teheran.
At the same time, the minister apprehended, the sanctions might lead to a humanitarian tragedy and further influx of refugees to Pakistan. He said that Pakistan was concerned at the sufferings of Afghan people and was trying to bring that to the notice of the international community.
Abdul Sattar went on to remark that relations between the two countries were distinguished, but the real question was how to activate and gear up the existing mechanisms for the expansion of these ties. 
To a question, he said that Islamabad wanted to explore the avenues of further cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. "We in Pakistan deeply admire the leadership of Imam Khomeini, who made Iran a self-respecting nation." 
About the visit of General Pervez Musharraf to Teheran, the foreign minister observed that, basically, it was a goodwill trip, demonstrating the importance Pakistan attached to its ties with Iran. 
He pointed out that detailed discussions would not be possible during the visit, "but we hope to speak about implementation of projects that have already been agreed upon." He referred to the bilateral agreements on laying of a railway line between the two countries, the Pak-Iran Oil Refinery and laying of Gas Pipeline.
Dwelling upon the Afghan imbroglio, Abdul Sattar maintained that Iran and Pakistan were both committed to the promotion of a broad-based, representative and multi-ethnic government.
He continued that Pakistan had no separate agenda on Afghanistan and was only concerned at the instability, which was affecting both Iran as well as Pakistan. "I hope if the two countries can combine their efforts, they can achieve the objective of a broad-based and multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan." 
"I think Iran, Pakistan and other countries of the Six-Plus-Two group can join together and invite the United Nations to resume efforts for Afghan settlement," he said.
Abdul Sattar added, "the sooner the United States, the Russian Federation and the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan work, the better it will be for the Afghan people."