Afghan President Karzai to visit India

Afghan President Hamid Karzai will undertake a visit here from Sunday to discuss the situation arising out of the Mumbai attacks.

Karzai, who will be making his second visit here in five months, will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday on the latest developments related to the terror strikes.

The main purpose of the visit, which was scheduled during the last few days, is to convey Afghanistan's condolences and solidarity with India in the wake of Mumbai attacks, official sources said.

The Prime Minister is expected to share with Karzai evidence about involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan-based elements in the Mumbai attacks.

The two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation to defeat terrorism, which is posing threat to both the countries, the sources said.

During his previous visit here in August last year, Karzai had underlined that India and Afghanistan as also the world at large have "no option but to be united in the fight against terrorism" as it is "our moral responsibility as human beings to protect" the people.

He had undertaken that visit in the backdrop of deadly suicide attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul on July 7, for which the Afghan President had blamed Pakistan's ISI.

Four Indian nationals, including a Brigadier-rank Defence Attache and senior IFS officer, were killed in the Embassy attack which also claimed lives of 55 locals.