"It all depends on how Pakistan acts in curbing cross-border terrorist activities. We are watching it minute by minute. And if they are able to curb that, the relations will become closer," Khalili told IANS in an interview here.

The Afghan stand on relations with Pakistan, as enunciated by the envoy, is similar to India's condition that Islamabad must first stop cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir before resumption of bilateral dialogue to normalise relations could take place.

Khalili is himself a victim of terrorism having survived with serious injuries a suicide attack by two al-Qaeda terrorists posing as television journalists. It was in that attack in September 2001 that the legendary fighter Ahmed Shah Masood, commander of the erstwhile Northern Alliance, was killed.

Khalili said a "combination of different elements" in Pakistan was responsible for the terrorists being allowed to cross the border into Afghanistan, but he did not directly reply to a question whether the Pakistan government or the army was involved in it.

"Different elements, a combination of elements, are working to create disturbances in Afghanistan, aggravate it. We are watching it very carefully. The more curb (there is) in cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan originating from Pakistan, the closer the people and government and Afghanistan will move towards Pakistan," he said.

He noted that President Hamid Karzai had met Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf many times and asked him to cooperate in curbing terrorists crossing from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

"They have indeed many times eloquently assured President Karzai that they would try their best to curb cross-border terrorism from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

"But still unfortunately they are crossing the border and creating problems in Afghanistan. That is a source of discontent for Afghan people, international forces."