New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Afghan Chief Executive Office Abdullah Abdullah on Thursday said that those who nurture terrorism are doing so for “short-sighted and misplaced intentions”.

Addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, Abdullah said that Afghanistan was striving to overcome years of geopolitical abuse and terrorist attacks “in attempts by dark forces in designs that threaten our national fabric and identity as well as our aspirations”.

“In reality, these dark forces and misguided policies do not just threaten us, they threaten all societies, nation states, our cultural heritage and humanity as a whole,” he stated.

“Paradoxically, those who nurture and enable terrorism and extremist networks do so for short-sighted and misplaced intentions. They also engage in such activities at their own peril. This is why such strategies are a failure and have brought nothing but misery and hardship to all sides, including the perpetrators themselves.”

Abdullah thanked India for its support in fighting terrorism and help in rebuilding the war-torn nation.

“In this context, the last 16 years in particular are a testament to Indian generosity and support as part of a global effort to fight terrorism, help rebuild Afghanistan and integrate our region to global markets in new ideas by enlisting new opportunities and offering our youth hope for the future,” he said.

“We are particularly thankful to India’s soft power, generosity which ranges from infrastructure building to opening trade routes and providing quality education to our youth,” the Afghan CEO said, adding that was why India was “a rising global power, not just an emerging regional economy”.

Stating that Afghanistan continued to be at the forefront of the fight against tyranny and terror, Abdullah said: “Whatever the label or brand, we have decided to protect our people against Talibanism and outfits that function under the same overarching umbrella and share an identical world view.”

In a question and answer session chaired by Amar Sinha, former Secretary (Economic Affairs) in the External Affairs Ministry and a former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Abdullah said that the Taliban was under increasing pressure and hence was focusing on terrorist attacks in cities

“We are heartened by the latest pledges made by the international community that aim to break the current security stalemate, help us stand on our own feet, take responsibility for our own defence and adopt a more effective approach to fight terrorism in our region,” he stated.

The Afghan CEO also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s new South Asia policy which he said was not time-bound and was condition-based.

He said that Kabul’s message to other regional stakeholders was that differentiating between bad and good terrorists or failing to look at the linkages that exist between terrorists and extremist outfits or ignores state-sponsored violence and proxy warfare “can have catastrophic consequences”.

“We urge all nations affected by terrorism to boost their efforts through intelligence sharing and coordination,” he stated.

“Heightened cooperation and dialogue can overcome misunderstandings, misperceptions, mistrust and spoiling our tactics.”

Stating that his country’s efforts were “forward-looking, progressive and intended to foster, peace, growth and prosperity”, Abdullah said: “This vision takes into account the god-given rights of individuals and democratic constitutional order, basic rights and freedoms, functioning economy that unleashes human ingenuity and creativity and our promise to uplift people from poverty and inequality in this sphere. We are together in this journey. We have challenges and pitfalls along the way but we are confident that we shall overcome them through resolve, team work, shared moral high ground.”

–IANS
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