Thaindian News

New Delhi/Kabul, May 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded a two-day visit to Afghanistan Friday, upgrading ties to a strategic partnership - with Pakistan looming heavily in the background as the two countries deal with the aftermath of the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Dramatically during the visit, Afghan intelligence spokesperson Luftullah Mashal specifically named Pakistan’s spy agency ISI as being behind the attempt to kill the Indian consul general in Jalalabad

The killing of Osama and the consequent actions of the Pakistani government, in fact, dominated the joint press conference Thursday, with both leaders acknowledging that it was a pivotal event.

“The death of Osama bin Laden creates a situation,” Manmohan Singh said, adding he hoped all three countries recognized that it was an “unique moment” to work unitedly against terror.

The prime minister had reached Afghanistan Thursday morning, and returned to Delhi Friday afternoon - after almost 24 hours in Kabul amidst heightened levels of security.

The visit did demonstrate the special place for India in Afghanistan, with the government of President Hamid Karzai making unprecedented gestures during the Indian leader’s stay.

Manmohan Singh was the the first head of state, since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, to stay at the personal suite of Afghanistan’s last King Zahir Shah, as well as address a joint session of the Afghan parliament.

A level of personal rapport between the two leaders, who have a difference of 25 years between them, was also evident.

“The president was really considerate about the prime minister… you could see it in the body language, when they walked together and held discussions,” said a senior official of the external affairs ministry.

The main takeaway for the visit was the consolidation of bilateral relations to a new level, termed a strategic partnership. As per the joint declaration, the strategic partnership envisages “the elevation of their multifaceted ties to a higher level, both in the bilateral field and in the international arena”.

“We have agreed to reinvigorate our relationship in all sectors on the basis of mutual respect and mutual equality. This will be a long-term partnership. Its main pillars will be greater political interaction, a comprehensive economic partnership, a trade development strategy, a social development strategy, an agricultural outreach strategy, a cultural development strategy, and a civil society strategy,” Manmohan Singh told the packed Afghan parliament in a speech, punctuated by applause, Friday.

The prime minister had gone with a bagful of gifts - fresh assistance of $500 million, as well as a medical package that includes a quota for treatment of Afghan patients in major Indian hospitals and expansion of the Indian medical mission to other provinces.

India is the sixth largest donor to Afghanistan, with the new aid bringing the Indian development assistance to $2 billion. Manmohan Singh repeatedly reaffirmed that India will support Afghanistan as per the priorities set by the war-ravaged country.

With Indians being targets for attacks by certain elements of the Taliban, the prime minister’s visit had been kept totally under wraps till his special aircraft landed at Kabul international airport.

In fact, it was the Afghan government which had insisted that the dates should remain completely under wraps. “They said that the dates should not be leaked under any circumstances,” the official added.

The security scenario starkly demonstrated the challenges faced by the region, with Afghanistan having to suffer the consequences of attacks by groups mainly based in Pakistan.

During the joint press conference, Karzai said Osama’s killing proved Kabul’s repeated assertions that terrorism was not being bred in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan’s villages is not where terrorism has to be fought or pursued. So this long-held claim has now been proven right… and the world has recognized that.”

But Karzai quickly added that Afghanistan “wishes brotherly relations with Pakistan” and that the Indian prime minister agreed with his assessment.

At the end of the visit, the feeling of goodwill for India, from the ordinary citizens of Afghanistan to its senior leaders, was palpable.

“I was once asked by a German journalist about which country I am most comfortable with dealing diplomatically. He was expected me to say Germany, but I said that I am very happy to talk with Indian diplomats best,” said Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta.