Zardari Reaches Kabul For Karzai Inauguration

KABUL: President Asif Ali Zardari flew into Kabul Wednesday to attend the inauguration of his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai for a second five-year term in power, Karzai’s office said.

Security was tight in and around Kabul as “foreign guests” including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived to attend the ceremony, scheduled to take place at the presidential palace on Thursday.

“Pakistan’s President His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari just arrived,” Hamid Elmi, a presidential palace official told a foreign news agency.

“Other guests are arriving and others are expected to arrive tomorrow,” he said, without giving further details.

Karzai was declared the winner of August 20 fraud-tainted elections after his rival Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from a run-off vote.