Kabul backs India on surgical strikes

Afghanistan on Friday backed India on the cross-border surgical strikes in Pakistani territory, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking "bold decisions" in the fight against terrorism.

The Afghan Ambassador to India, Shaida Mohammad Abdali, told the media: "The goal is that we have to end a problem that is increasingly taking our lives.

"I can see Prime Minister Modi taking bold decisions. The leadership of the region and the governments must take bold decisions and take risks in order to free ourselves for good," he said.

Abdali's remarks came a day after the Indian Army said it had carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control on Wednesday night on terrorist launch pads.

India's move follow the September 18 terror attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 19 soldiers.

"We have to fight a phenomenon that is going to inflict us in a much bigger way. If you have that in mind, that means you need to do more and use different measures," he said, referring to terrorism.

"The goal is that we have to end a problem that is increasingly taking our lives," Abdali said.

Asked if Pakistan was a state sponsor of terrorism or there were elements within that country that incited terrorism, he said: "There is no doubt about state sponsorship of terrorism.

"(There is) no doubt about clear use of terrorism by a state against neighbours. I am glad to see the world recognising this more than any time before."

Abdali had in an interview to a news channel earlier said his country was willing to consider a joint boycott of the Saarc summit along with India and other members.

He said for years Kabul was among the few countries to raise the issue of state sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan. "Now we have the world community recognising it."

Stating that India and Afghanistan did not alone discuss the issue of fighting terrorism, he said that "we discuss with all our world partners".

He said the war against terrorism would not be won if it was fought in Afghanistan but it should be fought "where it originated from".

Abdali, who earlier served as Deputy National Security Advisor and Special Assistant to former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said Kabul did not make any distinction between terror groups.

"We have suffered from terrorist groups from across the border. We feel the pain in a similar way as India."

On Pakistan, he said "patience was wearing thin" and "it is high time we review our relations.

"We have tried our best to have good neighbourly relations but the goodwill has not been reciprocated," Abdali said.

--IANS

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