‘Wrong to single out Pak

HEART OF ASIA Aziz says Pakistan’s participation in summit despite tension along LoC indicates commitment to peace

AMRITSAR: The Pakistani prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser, Sartaj Aziz, said on Sunday it is wrong to single out his country and accuse it of promoting terrorism, despite Islamabad’s commitment to regional cooperation.

Speaking at the Heart of Asia conference, he dragged the postponed SAARC Summit to deflect allegations that Pakistan shelters terrorists and its commitment to fight terrorism is hollow.

“My participation in the event, despite escalation on the Line of Control (LoC) and the working boundary with India is a testimony to Pakistan’s unflinching commitment for lasting peace in Afghanistanandtheregion,”hesaid.

The SAARC Summit that Islamabad was to host in November was postponed as several member nations, including India and Afghanistan, sought an atmosphere of peace for talks after September’s Uri attack, in which suspected Pakistani militants killed 19 Indian soldiers.

Military skirmishes along the de facto border or LoC in Jammu and Kashmir have increased since the Uri ambush.

Before Aziz spoke on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan president Ashraf Ghani accused Pakistan of supporting and financing terrorist forces in their addresses at the sixth Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process initiative to promote peace efforts in Afghanistan.

“The security situation in Afghanistan is very complex. It is simplistic to blame only one country for the recent upsurge