India, Afghanistan call for action against terrorism

Amritsar : The Heart of Asia conference on Sunday saw both India and Afghanistan raise the pitch on terror and in clear terms asked Pakistan to take action against the terrorism emanating from its soil.In his address at the HOA conference, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani pointedly asked Pakistan to stop its aid to terrorists and said, “Afghanistan suffered the highest number of casualties last year. This is unacceptable…About 30 terrorist groups — named by the UN — are trying to establish a base in Afghanistan”. In a snub to Pakistan, which has for decades tried to control the narrative in Afghanistan by its leverage over the Taliban, Ghani had a clear mesaage: “Pakistan has pledged 500 million dollars for Afghanistan’s development, this amount Mr.Aziz (Sartaj) can be spent in containing extremism,” he said. “A key Taliban leader has himself admitted to getting sanctuary in Pakistan.”