By IOL Pakistan Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, August 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Saying that the U.S. military has no permanent role in this country, Pakistan has ruled out the possibility that the U.S. military may carry out anti-terror operation within this Afghan neighbor.

Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, denied the move to make a permanent presence of the American forces in Pakistan.

"Our armed forces don't require any help from outside. Pakistan is fully capable ... of operating against any eventuality or terrorism or aggression", Khan said answering a question about possibilities of U.S. forces involvement in the anti-terror campaign in Pakistan.

Head of U.S. central Command, General Tommy Franks had suggested Sunday, August 25, that U.S. anti-terror operations needed to look at operating in countries neighboring Afghanistan.

When asked whether Pakistan was considering any proposal to give affect to these claims, Aziz said, "that request has not been made so far since this action has started."

Franks was quoted as saying that the U.S.-led war on terror that was launched after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States could not be limited to Afghanistan.

Aziz Ahmed Khan said there was no need or moves to make the presence of the U.S. forces, presently located at various airbases in the country, permanent.

Meanwhile, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said after talks in Islamabad Monday that ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which had been strained by Islamabad's support of the former Taliban regime, were gaining strength.

"Today's visit is a further step towards strengthening and deepening relations and ties between both governments, both countries and both nations," Abdullah told agence France-Presse (AFP) after talks with Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq.

Abdullah and Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani arrived in the capital Islamabad earlier for two days of talks with their Pakistani counterparts and a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf.
Abdullah held talks with Haq at the foreign office, while Ghani met Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Both men were to hold talks with Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider and Commerce Minister Abdul Razak Dawood on Tuesday, August 27, before calling on Musharraf, Khan told a press briefing.

"The two sides held in depth discussions on a wide range of issues of bilateral and regional interests," a foreign ministry statement said.

Abdullah said the talks were "constructive and (held) in a very friendly atmosphere."

The statement said Haq assured Abdullah of Pakistan's continued support to the Afghan government to bring durable peace and stability in Afghanistan and for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war-ravaged country.

The trip is only the second to Pakistan by Abdullah, a key powerbroker of the Northern Alliance, which fought the previously Pakistan-backed Taliban regime.

Pakistan is still viewed with suspicion by elements of the Northern Alliance, which dominates the Kabul administration.

Earlier Khan told reporters that Pakistan would raise the issue of repatriation of Pakistanis held in Afghan jails.

"The issues regarding the prisoners will certainly be raised," Khan said, announcing that the latest swathe of repatriations was due to start next week.

"Kabul authorities informed us already, they are at the moment checking the lists of the prisoners and some details and they have told us that very soon they will be giving us some kind of a schedule about the repatriation of those prisoners," he said.