New Delhi: The United States does not seek permanent military base in Afghanistan but would leave only after ensuring that the war-ravaged country stood on its own feet, a key aide of President George Bush said on October 30.

''We do not seek permanent military bases in Afghanistan,'' Presidential special envoy on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters.

He said the strategic objective of the US as also India was ''to see that Afghanistan stands on its own feet as early as possible. We will not leave before this happens'', he said.

The American official also voiced apprehensions over the influence of multiple militia and warlords, saying they were not the answer to numerous challenges confronting Afghanistan.

The US emphasis was on the rebuilding and reconstruction of Afghanistan and it saw India playing a major role in this regard.

Khalilzad, who held wide-ranging discussions with National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, also hoped that Pakistan would do ''more'' in reining in al-Qaida and Taleban elements taking refuge in that country.

India and the US held in-depth discussions on the reconstruction of war-ravaged Afghanistan and shared a strong common interest on emergence of a moderate and stable Afghan regime, vowing to prevent any resurgence of Taleban or any other form of fundamentalism.

PTI