Agencies
Amritsar, Dec 4
An international conference on Afghanistan here on Sunday called for immediate elimination of terrorism to help the war-ravaged country in its political and economic transition.
The Amritsar Declaration, issued after the 6th ministerial ‘Heart of Asia conference – Istanbul Process on Afghanistan’ in this Punjab city near India’s border with Pakistan, “recognises terrorism as the biggest threat to peace” and demanded “immediate end to all forms of terrorism”.
Citing the declaration, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who chaired the meeting in the absence of ailing External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, said: “We remain concerned by high level of violence in Afghanistan caused by Taliban, terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, Daesh (Islamic State) and its affiliates.”
“We strongly call for concerted regional and international cooperation to ensure elimination of terrorism, including dismantling of terrorist safe havens in the Heart of Asia region, as well as disrupting all financial and logistical support for terrorism.”
India scored a major diplomatic victory over its rival neighbour after an international conference on Afghanistan here on Sunday named Pakistan-based terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, as grave threats to peace in the South Asian region.
The resolution, called Amritsar Declaration, adopted at the 6th ministerial ‘Heart of Asia conference – Istanbul Process on Afghanistan’ in this Punjab city near India’s border with Pakistan, said it was “concerned by the gravity of the security situation in Afghanistan, in particular, and the region”.
The declaration said that among other terror groups propagating “high level of violence” were “the Taliban, Daesh (Islamic State) and its affiliates, the Haqqani Network, Al Qaida … Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan … and other foreign terrorist fighters”. “Acknowledging the support that terrorism derives in our region”, the joint declaration demanded “an immediate end to all forms of terrorism, as well as all support to it, including financing of terrorism”.
