Islamabad allegations baseless, says Kabul

The Afghan Foreign Ministers rubbishing the charges by pakistani Military and political administration that India is aiding and abetting terror in Pak / Balochistan is a clear sign of what and where the relations stand. Pak is losing but as history sows it wants to fight a 100 year war.

 Times Of India

29 Jul 2009, 0208 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan has rubbished Pakistan’s claims of India’s alleged backing of insurgents in Balochistan and has vowed to step up counter-terrorism cooperation with India.

Afghan foreign minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, who held talks with the Indian leadership on Monday, rubbished Islamabad’s allegation that India was backing the Balochistan insurgency in Pakistan.

“This is not a new claim by Pakistan,” Mr Spanta was quoted as saying. He added: “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.” Islamabad has accused both India and Afghanistan of fomenting unrest in Balochistan, a claim that in the past has found no takers.

In a message to Pakistan, Afghanistan and India have also both identified terrorism as the most important security threat in the region. ``They highlighted terrorism as the most important security threat facing the region and reiterated their full resolve to combat it,’’ said a joint statement that was released on Tuesday, a day after talks between Mr Spanta and external affairs minister S M Krishna on a wide range of issues.

The Afghan foreign minister during his visit to India called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and National Security Advisor M K Narayanan. Discussions centred on the US Af-Pak policy, elections in Afghanistan and problem of extremism and Pakistan.

But what is significant is that the two sides have decided to step up cooperation in a large variety of areas. In a development that will see an increase in Indian engagement in Afghanistan, the two sides have decided to set up an India-Afghanistan Partnership Council composed of separate groups on political consultation, capacity development and education, power and water, culture, trade and industry, health, and agriculture.

"This will harness greater institutional support for the implementation of ongoing programmes and enlarge development co-operation between the two countries,’’ said the joint statement.

The joint statement also said that ministers ``reaffirmed the determination’’ of the two governments to strengthen the ``forward-looking and long-term partnership’’ between India and Afghanistan.

Islamabad has long viewed Indo-Afghan cooperation with suspicion and has been accusing India of carrying out anti-Pak activities through its consulates in Afghanistan. A claim that has been rubbished by both India and Afghanistan.