India and Afghanistan refute ‘terror sponsors’ allegation by Pakistan

KABUL and New Delhi last Sunday (15) denied Pakistan’s accusations that India was funding “terror” groups and training them on Afghan soil.

The denial came a day after Islamabad said it had gathered “irrefutable” evidence, which it plans to present to the UN, of Indian involvement in “terrorist” activities impacting Pakistan.

Pakistani officials said India’s intelligence agencies had established a cell focused on attacking infrastructure projects being built by Pakistan’s neighbour and ally China, particularly in the restive western province of Balochistan.

“We expect the international community to force India to end its terrorism & bring to justice those responsible for killing thousands of innocent people in Pakistan,” Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan said on Twitter.

A statement from Pakistan’s military said India was “training, harbouring and launching... terrorists into Pakistan,” from 87 training camps – 66 in Afghanistan and 21 in India.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry denied the claim. “The Afghan government explicitly declares Afghanistan has been the main victim of terrorism in the world, and we are committed to combating all forms of terrorism,” the Afghan statement read.

New Delhi meanwhile called Pakistan’s allegations a “futile anti-India propaganda exercise”.

“The so-called claims of ‘proof’ against India enjoy no credibility, are fabricated and represent figments of imagination,” India’s ministry of external affairs said.

Relations between Islamabad and New Delhi hit a new low last Friday (13) as their two militaries exchanged artillery and gun fire across the border in Kashmir.

More than 13 people were killed and dozens more wounded.