The report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), an independent research wing of the US Congress, which prepares periodic reports to help Congressmen make informed decisions, sheds lights on India’s attempts to limit Pakistan’s influence in Afghanistan. Upset at being cut out of the picture as President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani announced the controversial NDS-ISI MoU between the Afghan-Pakistan intelligence agencies, followed by talks with the Taliban which were hosted by Pakistan, India has ignored repeated requests to hold Strategic Partnership talks.
Advertisement
He said Pakistan wants that the level of insurgency and fighting among the Afghan Taliban should be reduced to ensure security in the region. He also said that reconciliation was the only way forward for Afghanistan and his country would continue to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. The report said that the United States considers Pakistan as “most crucial ” to Afghanistan’s stability.
Mr Aziz insisted that reconciliation was the surest way to peace in Afghanistan.
Replying to a question, he said, Pakistan had done a lot to ensure safety and security of its nuclear assets and Pakistan’s efforts in this regard had been recognized at global level in this regard. It claims that a few of these groups had committed major acts of terrorism in India, including the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 and in July 2011.
Earlier in February this year, Pakistan had sent relief assistance for the victims of avalanches in Afghanistan.
Advertisement
At a February 2013 meeting in Britain, Pakistan demanded that Afghanistan scale back relations with India and sign a strategic agreement with it that includes Pakistani training for the ANDSF.
