AMRITSAR: Terrorism emanating from Pakistan was one of the main focus areas at the Heart of Asia conference with PM Narendra Modi and Afghan president Ashraf Ghani seeking to corner Islamabad on the issue. But unlike at the Brics summit in Goa earlier this year, Modi didn’t go overboard in highlighting crossborder terrorism and let Ghani do most of the talking.
“Pakistan has generously pledged $500 million for reconstruction of Afghanistan. This fund, Mr Aziz, could very well be used for containing extremism because without peace, any amount of assistance will not meet the needs of our people,” Ghani said, directly addressing Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistan prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs.
Recalling a recent statement by a diplomat under the Taliban regime, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said if the Taliban did not have sanctuary in Pakistan, they would not last even for a month.