Pak riled by Karzai charges

8216;8216;I will not give a strong-worded statement on what he Karzai had said. I can only say that we are saddened by what has been reported in the newspapers today,8217;8217; Kasuri said winding up a debate in the Senate on foreign policy. He said a strong Afghanistan is what Pakistan wants, the state-run APP news agency reported.

8220;Let8217;s not trade insults through media. You have a difficult situation there, we have a difficult situation here. Let8217;s not lose our cool,8217;8217; Kasuri said, adding that Pakistan has never and will not ever try to create instability in Afghanistan. 8216;8216;Why would we do things that are against our own interests?8221;

Kasuri said Afghanistan was dear to Pakistan and noted that the bilateral trade had increased tremendously over the last four years. 8216;8216;Four years ago our trade stood at mere 23 million which this year stands at 1.5 billion.8217;8217;

The Pakistan foreign office has said Islamabad planned to reach an agreement with Nato to provide transit facilities for the grouping8217;s troops deployed in Afghanistan.