AMRITSAR: At the Heart of Asia conference here today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the need to wipe out the terror network, saying it was endangering the entire region. “Silence and inaction will embolden terrorists and their masters,’’ he said, without naming Pakistan. While Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani said without mincing words that the State-sponsored sanctuaries exist in Pakistan.
At the inaugural session of the sixth Ministerial Conference of the Heart of Asia- Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, Modi said, “ Because, at stake is not just the future of Afghanistan that has invested in a vision of development, democracy, and pluralism but the peace and stability of this entire region, and beyond. Let us also reflect with urgency on what more must be done and what we must avoid in Afghanistan so that its citizens can self-sustain peace and economic growth. The answers are all there. The question is of resolve and action and of putting Afghanistan and its people first.’’
“The key for this is an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process. It is the only guarantor of the durability of solutions. Second, we must demonstrate a strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear,” he said.
“Terrorism and externally induced instability pose the gravest threat to Afghanistan’s peace, stability and prosperity. And, the growing arc of terrorist violence endangers our entire region. As such, support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough. It must be backed by resolute action. Not just against forces of terrorism, but also against those who support, shelter, train and finance them. We should all work to build stronger positive connectivity between Afghanistan and other countries of the region. Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them. On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia,” Modi said.
While addressing the conference, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani said, “The state-sponsored sanctuaries exist in Pakistan. The Taliban also say that they cannot sustain themselves for more than one month without support by Pakistan.”
Appreciating India’s unconditional support for the economic development of war-ravaged Afghanistan, Ghani said the expansion of the key Chabahar port between India, Iran and his country was very important for regional trade and connectivity.
“Air corridor will be soon launched and it will improve trade ties between the two countries. Twenty thousand Afghan students are studying in India. These students go back and help transform and reconstruct Afghanistan,” Ghani said.
Ghani spoke about India’s assistance in the construction of Salma dam -- officially called the Afghan-India Friendship Dam that was inaugurated on June 4, 2016, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Ghani in Herat province of that country. “India's support to Afghanistan to improve people's life is transparent with no strings attached,” he said.
“There are no hidden deals between India and Afghanistan. We thank India for that,” he added.
Ahead of the meet, Modi and Ghani held bilateral talks focusing on a range of key issues including boosting trade and investment, India's reconstruction activities in the war-ravaged country and ways to strengthen defence and security partnership.
India and Afghanistan are looking at the option of an air corridor after Pakistan has refused permission to Kabul to trade with New Delhi using road, rail routes through its territory.