by Bronwyn Curran
ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (AFP) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Pakistan Monday for talks with his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf on eradicating Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters from their common border, a key issue in his bid for re-election.
Karzai, heading a top-level ministerial delegation, flew into Islamabad at 3:00 pm (1000 GMT) for a two-day visit at Musharraf`s invitation to discuss cooperation in rounding up militant Islamic fighters and boosting economic ties.
A 21-gun salute greeted Karzai as he alighted from his plane at the Chaklala airforce base and two children in traditional Pakistani dress presented him with a bouquet.
Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri welcomed Karzai and the two men headed straight to the foreign ministry for talks.
"The visit is part of ongoing high-level consultations between the two countries on all issues and will give further impetus to bilateral relations," Kasuri told reporters at the airbase.
"Pakistan fully supports ... the endeavours of President Karzai for national reconciliation, reconstruction and development."
Karzai is due to meet Musharraf at 6:30 pm (1130 GMT). The two leaders will issue a joint statement after their talks and Musharraf will host a dinner banquet for Karzai at the presidential palace.
"They will be discussing all bilateral issues, reconstruction, Afghan development, prisoners, the forthcoming elections ... all issues of common interest to both the countries," a foreign ministry official told AFP.
A week before his visit Karzai made a thinly-veiled attack on Pakistan, accusing Afghanistan`s "neighbours" of allowing militant fighters to cross the border to wage guerrilla attacks.
"I ask them not to allow terrorists to enter our country from their territory because their country`s security depends upon the security of the country in Afghanistan," he said in an Independence Day address marking the departure of British forces 85 years before.
Afghan leaders accuse Pakistan of not doing enough to stop hundreds of Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters finding sanctuary in remote border regions from where they are believed to plot and launch attacks inside Afghanistan as part of an insurgency against Karzai`s government.
Pakistan denies aiding the militants and says its extensive army operations to flush out fighters from the frontier area are proof of its commitment to eradicating them.
Analysts said success in curbing militant insurgency in southeast Afghanistan along the Pakistani frontier is important for Karzai as he prepares to run against 17 other candidates in landmark October 9 elections.
"Karzai`s visit is very important for him because of upcoming elections in Afghanistan," foreign affairs analyst and former Pakistani diplomat Kamal Matinuddin told AFP.
"He will discuss the situation in the bordering provinces and the ongoing Pakistani military operations in the tribal area, where a hunt is on for Al-Qaeda militants and terror suspects.
"Karzai would definitely convey his happiness over the Pakistani assaults. He would like Pakistan to continue the operation and will most likely convey his government`s desire that `We both should do more to eradicate terrorism.`"
Kasuri said Sunday the sensitive issue of Pakistani prisoners languishing in Afghan jails would also be on Monday`s talks agenda.
Up to 6,000 Pakistanis travelled to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban in late 2001, when US-led forces were driving them from power for refusing to hand over terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
Some 2,000 Pakistanis were taken prisoner by anti-Taliban forces now in power. Around 1,000 have been released in batches.
On Tuesday Karzai will address the Institute of Strategic Studies, a state-run think tank in Islamabad, before meeting outgoing Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat.
Karzai is accompanied by Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, Commerce Minister Syed Mustafa Kazmi, Refugee Repatriation Minister Enayatullah Nazari and Frontier Regions Minister Arif Nurzai.
Bilateral trade has been increasing between the neighbours, reaching 700 million dollars in the past financial year ending June 30.
Pakistan has given Afghanistan 100 million dollars for reconstruction.