- Title: Heart of Asia conference calls for Islamabad to rein in militant groups
- Date: 4th December 2016
- Summary: AMRITSAR, PUNJAB, INDIA (DECEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FLAGS OF PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE VENUE OF HEART OF ASIA CONFERENCE FLAGS POLICEMAN STANDING GUARD WITH A GUN OUTSIDE THE VENUE TWO POLICEMEN STANDING POSTER OF AFGHAN PRESIDENT ASHRAF GHANI BOARD READING (English): "HEART OF ASIA, ISTANBUL PROCESS ON AFGHANISTAN" INDIAN FINANCE MINISTER ARUN JAITLEY AND AFGHANISTAN'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HAKMAT KHALIL KARZAI ARRIVE TO ADDRESS THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN FINANCE MINISTER ARUN JAITLEY SAYING: "The three big issues of the conference were - One; countering terrorism to create stability and security in Afghanistan, two; providing Afghanistan connectivity to strengthen economic activities and three; development which is essential for the progress of Afghanistan." PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHANISTAN'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HAKMAT KHALIL KARZAI, SAYING: "We face similar problems and we face similar opportunities, and there are enormous opportunities, and I think our two leaders were able to very eloquently stress that this morning. But we also see in our region very difficult problem of terrorism and violent extremism. We also see the problem of state nurturing and fledging with terrorism which obviously not only has consequences for themselves but also for the region as a whole." A PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURE (MUTE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN FINANCE MINISTER ARUN JAITLEY SAYING: "The declaration recognizes terrorism as the biggest threat to peace and stability and demands immediate end to all forms of terrorism and all support financing safe haven and sanctuaries to it. For the first time Heart of Asia declaration expressed concern at the violence caused in Afghanistan and the region by terrorist groups like Al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-toyaba and Jaish-e-mohammad etc., apart from calling for international concerted effort in this area." THE TWO MINISTERS LEAVING THE PODIUM
- Embargoed: 19th December 2016 14:45
- Keywords: Afghanistan Pakistan militant groups
- Location: AMRITSAR, PUNJAB, INDIA
- City: AMRITSAR, PUNJAB, INDIA
- Country: India
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BGX6PX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO AS INCOMING ON SOUNDBITE
The sixth Heart of Asia conference in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, close to the border with Pakistan, ended on Sunday (December 4) with a call on Islamabad to rein in militant outfits operating in Pakistan and threatening stability in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's ties with Pakistan have been strained after a series of violent attacks, several in the capital Kabul, that participants of the conference said showed that Pakistan had failed to clamp down on the militant groups operating from its territory.
At the end of the conference, attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said taming militant groups was imperative for peace, stability and growth of Afghanistan.
"The three big issues of the conference were - One; countering terrorism to create stability and security in Afghanistan, two; providing Afghanistan connectivity to strengthen economic activities and three; development which is essential for the progress of Afghanistan," Jaitley said.
Earlier on Sunday, President Ghani said that the Taliban insurgency "would not survive a month" if it lost its sanctuary in neighbouring Pakistan, urging its neighbour to take on militant groups on its soil instead of giving Kabul financial aid.
Ghani's remarks suggested tensions were rising with Pakistan despite attempts to improve relations between the two countries after Ghani took office in 2014.
Afghanistan's deputy foreign minister Hakmat Khalil Karzai said support for militant groups poses threat for other countries in the region.
"We also see in our region very difficult problem of terrorism and violent extremism. We also see the problem of state nurturing and fledging with terrorism which obviously not only has consequences for themselves but also for the region as a whole," Karzai said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan said while violence had increased in Afghanistan, blaming another country for it didn't help.
Violence has spread across Afghanistan and the Taliban's ability to conduct coordinated high profile attacks in the capital Kabul has piled pressure on Ghani's Western-backed government to provide better security to the war weary people.
Last year, Afghanistan suffered the highest number of civilian casualties and military related deaths in the world, Ghani told the Heart of Asia conference, aimed at getting regional players together to help stabilise his country.
Jaitley blamed militant outfits based in Pakistan for festering violence in the region.
"The declaration recognizes terrorism as the biggest threat to peace and stability and demands immediate end to all forms of terrorism and all support financing safe haven and sanctuaries to it," he said.
Analysts say Pakistan has historically backed the Afghan Taliban as a hedge against the influence of arch-rival India, with whom Pakistan has fought three wars, in its backyard.
Pakistan denies this and says it itself is a victim of militancy and that fighters of the Tehrik-i-Taliban, one of the main groups carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, are operating from Afghanistan.
The number of people displaced by conflict in Afghanistan this year has surpassed half a million people, the United Nations reported last month, the highest number since it began compiling such statistics in 2008.
Besides Taliban, Islamic State has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting minority Shi'ites in Afghanistan.
Ghani said there were 30 militant groups identified by the U.N. that were trying to establish bases in Afghanistan. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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