Pakistan urges UK to pull out of Afghanistan

Khurshid Kasuri: Britain 'fought three Afghan wars'

The remarks, by a senior foreign ministry official, reflect the growing belief in Islamabad that Nato is as much to blame for the endurance of the Islamic rebel army as Pakistan, which has been accused by the United States of failing to destroy Taliban training camps on its border.

Nato has had to review tactics after a series of blunders in which large numbers of civilians were killed in raids intended to hit Taliban fighters.

The Afghan government has claimed that the attacks acted as a recruiting sergeant for the rebels seeking to restore a hardline Islamic regime.

Khurshid Kasuri, Pakistan's foreign minister, said yesterday that Nato should consider holding talks with Taliban leaders.

"They should take a holistic approach - the military is an essential component but it has to be coupled with a political process and development," he said. More