Simplistic to blame a country, says Aziz; rakes up Indo-pak ties
AMRITSAR: Under severe attack over terrorism emanating from Pakistan, its Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz on Sunday hit back saying it is "simplistic" to blame one country even as he raked up the issue of strain in Indo-pak ties at the Heart of Asia (HOA) conference on Afghanistan.
Aziz asserted his attending the meet despite "escalation" along the LOC was testimony to Pakistan's "unflinching" commitment for lasting peace in Afghanistan and expressed unhappiness over cancellation of SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, terming it as a setback to regional cooperation. He did not mention the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
Noting that Pakistan was aware about serious challenges being faced by Afghanistan, Aziz said, "The first and foremost in our view is continuing violence and acts of terrorism claiming scores of human lives. This needs to be addressed urgently and effectively through collective efforts.
"The security situation in Afghanistan is very complex. It is simplistic to blame only one country for the recent upsurge in violence. We need to have an objective and holistic view."
His strong response came after India and Afghanistan hit out at Pakistan for sponsoring and supporting terrorism and called for "resolute action" against terrorists as well as their masters. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani directly hit out at Pakistan for "launching an undeclared war" against his country and demanded an Asian or international regime to verify Pak-sponsor terror operations.