ISLAMABAD Pakistan Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider says a stable Afghanistan is in favor of Iran and Pakistan, saying that Pak-Iran ties have improved after the collapse of the Taleban regime.

"On Afghanistan there used to be some differences due to previous regime but in the new situation that problem has gone away," Haider told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) in Islamabad in an interview.

He said Pakistan and Iran are now consulting on Afghanistan and, "I think it is in the interest of both the countries to see that there is stability in Afghanistan".

"The Afghan interim government represents all ethnic and other factions, which is friendly to both Iran and Pakistan so we should work for joint endeavor to see that progress and development is brought to the devastated country," the minister said.

He said Pakistan and Iran have a great role to play and the two countries must have shown activities to assist the Afghan people.

To a question about Pak-Iran talks to curb cross-border smuggling, he said border security officials of the two countries are in regular contact to combat smuggling. He said Iran and Pakistan authorities are performing quite well to check any illegal border trade. "We have the established relations with Iran on very sound footing in case of combating narcotics".

He said the anti-narcotics force of Pakistan can always directly contact Iranian counterparts for vital information.

He admitted that some smuggling of goods is going on across the border while some is allowed by both the countries. He said Iranian oil, which is very cheap, is being sold on the Pakistani side. "But we are confining it to border areas and trying that it should not reach Karachi and Punjab".

He said Iran has suggested establishment of border market at Taftan, Mand and two other areas where Iranian goods, which are required by Pakistanis, can be brought there. And whatever Pakistani goods are required by Iran are taken to that point and there is exchange of goods in local currencies for the benefit of the people living in that area, so we will establish two or three such markets".

He said two such markets may be set up on Iranian side and one in Chaman in Balochistan and another at Torkham border with Afghanistan.

He said the Interior Ministry has asked Commerce Ministry to do this. He said such a market has been working between Iran and Afghanistan at Herat. "So what we would like to see that smuggling is stopped and there is some benefit to both sides".

Haider said he will be visiting Iran in June for talks with Iranian officials on ways to check cross-border smuggling. He said he was scheduled to visit Tehran in April but the visit was re-scheduled at the request of Iranian side.