With tough statements on terror pointed at Pakistan, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged Islamabad to end its “selective” approach to fighting terror groups on its soil, and end “terror sanctuaries” for groups that target them at the Heart of Asia summit that ended on Sunday in Amritsar.
As permanent co-chair of the summit, President Ghani’s words were the most stinging, directly rejecting Pakistan’s proposal of $500 million fund for development in Afghanistan.
“This fund, Mr. Aziz, could very well be used for containing extremism because without peace, any amount of assistance will not meet the needs of our people,” Mr. Ghani said, addressing Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Adviser (FAA) Sartaj Aziz, whom he had held a meeting with just prior to the conference.
Speaking to The Hindu , President Ghani said the sharp words indicated his disappointment with Pakistan for its refusal to shelter Taliban terrorists and take no action against them, which had led to 2015 and 2016 becoming the worst years for civilian casualties in Afghanistan.
“The violence that has been inflicted on our people needs to be registered. To be quiet when people are dying is not acceptable. I am an elected political leader, I need to reflect my people’s sentiment,” Mr. Ghani said in an exclusive interview.
‘Silence won’t work’
Mr. Ghani’s words at the conference were echoed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called for action against terrorists and those who “support, shelter, train and finance them”. “Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters,” said Mr. Modi.
Aziz isolated
Mr. Aziz, who arrived in Amritsar on Saturday night for the dinner and joint call-on meeting with Prime Minister Modi, left without any bilateral engagement with India.
Reports of talks had grown after the appearance of a photograph of NSA Ajit Doval in conversation with Mr. Aziz, but MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup stated “categorically” that “there was no pull aside or bilateral meeting between the two.”
Even an attempt by Mr. Aziz to visit the Golden Temple and to speak with media there was scotched by officials who cited “security concerns”, despite protests from Pakistani High Commission officials.
At the HoA, Mr. Aziz called the attempt by India and Afghanistan to blame only Pakistan, “simplistic”.
“The security situation in Afghanistan is very complex. It is simplistic to blame only one country for the recent upsurge in violence. We need to have an objective and holistic view,” the 87-year old de facto Foreign Minister told delegates of more than 40 countries gathered.
Russian support
Mr. Aziz added that he had chosen to attend the HoA “despite escalation” with India at the LoC and IB, because of Pakistan’s “commitment to peace in the region”. Pakistan received unexpected support from the Russian delegation at the conference. “I’m sure President Ghani had strong reasons to do so, but I don’t think the HoA is the right place for settling scores,” Russia’s special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told the media after the session.
While Pakistan faced the snubs from India and Afghanistan in the room, it wasn’t isolated in the final Amritsar declaration. The statement contained several tough clauses on terrorism, building on the 2015 Islamabad Declaration that had discussed ending sanctuaries and funding for terror and named Al Qaeda and IS (Islamic State), adding groups like Pakistan-based LeT and JeM that target India, the Haqqani network that attacks Afghanistan, and groups like Jundullah, ETIM and IMU that operate in China, Central Asia, and Iran. But it also named the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat Ul Ahrar, that claim responsibility for terror attacks in Pakistan.
Officials privy to the negotiation told The Hindu that since India and Afghanistan had raised no objections to anti-Pakistan groups, it was unable to object to the groups they then named that India has long held received state support in Pakistan.
