Kabul: An Afghan official today accused Pakistan's premier spy agency of organising a recent assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai, the most serious in a string of allegations which could hobble Washington's anti-terror alliance.

The charge bodes ill for American efforts to get Pakistan's new government to work in lockstep with Karzai's embattled administration to counter Islamic militants swarming around their common border.

Karzai escaped unharmed when assailants opened fire with guns and mortars toward the president, scores of senior officials and foreign diplomats during a military parade in downtown Kabul on April 27. Three Afghans were killed.

Since then, Karzai has ramped up his criticism of Pakistan, whom Afghan officials have long suspected of secretly aiding the insurgents. Karzai even threatened to send troops into Pakistan to eliminate Taliban leaders this month.

Afghan intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh alleged last month that suspects involved in the attempt on Karzai had exchanged cell phone text messages with people in Pakistan s lawless tribal regions and the city of Peshawar.

Presidential spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said yesterday that "the hand of one foreign intelligence agency was clearly involved."

But Saleh s spokesman, Saeed Ansari, went further today, claiming Afghan intelligence could prove Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, was involved.

"The evidence and documents as well as the confessions of people arrested by the intelligence service shows that the main organiser of the terrorist acts during the 16th anniversary of the mujaedeen victory was the intelligence service of Pakistan and its allies," Ansari said.

Source : PTI