Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) Visiting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta Monday rubbished Islamabad’s allegation that India was backing the Balochistan insurgency in Pakistan.
“This is not a new claim by Pakistan,” he said, adding: “But we need to have closer relation against international terrorism in our region.”

Spanta said this during his talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna here.

“Afghanistan never allowed other countries’ interference in domestic issue of Pakistan and India has never used Afghan territory against Pakistan. This is only an empty claim,” Spanta said.

Spanta was reacting to the tabling of a statement in the Pakistan Senate last week by Interior Minister Rehman Malik, suggesting that Islamabad has enough proof that India and Afghanistan are involved in the ongoing unrest in Balochistan.

Krishna held talks with his Afghan counterpart on a wide range of bilateral issues that revolved around security for the coming elections in Afghanistan.

The Afghan minister shared his perception of the US’ AfPak policy and Pakistan’s clampdown on the Taliban in the Swat Valley that has important ramifications for security of the neighbouring country, official sources said.

In his discussions, Krishna conveyed to Spanta the need for ensuring “peaceful or credible elections” in Afghanistan and said India was ready to play a constructive role as a responsible power in defeating extremism of all kinds, specially the Taliban that poses direct threat to India’s security.

India has pledged over $1.2 billion in developmental assistance to Afghanistan, that covers a range of economic and social developmental activities.

New Delhi has made it clear that the attack on its embassy in Kabul July 7 last year will not deter it from continuing its multi-faceted reconstruction work in that country.