Delhi-Kabul push for regional anti-terror framework set to embarrass Pak representative Sartaj Aziz
Even as Finance Minister Arun Jaitly has been assigned to steer the Heart of Asia (HoA) conference on December 3-4 attended by representatives from over 30 countries in absence of the ailing External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, India as well as Afghanistan will pitch for adoption of a regional framework to combat terrorism.
Being held in the wake of the Nagrota terror attack, Afghan envoy to India Dr. Shaida Mohammad Abdali, without naming Pakistan, revealed that his country will stress on adopting a mechanism to bring change in the behaviour of some countries providing safe haven to terrorists.
The annual HoA conference or Istanbul Process, even though a platform to assist Afghanistan in its transition, will extensively deliberate on threat from terror networks operating from Pakistan in the border city of Amritsar.
The highlight of the conference is the attendance of Sartaj Aziz, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Saharif, for the HoA conference in Amritsar.
In the past two days, Jaitley has shouldered some responsibilities of Ministry of External Affairs, by supervising a meeting of 20 Indian diplomats, appointed as ambassadors and now steering the HoM meeting has set the speculations rife here that the PM may be shifting him to South Block, the External Affairs Ministry in view of ailing Swaraj, who is suffering from kidney failure. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had asked the MoS for External Affairs MJ Akbar to host the Amritsar conference. But later reportedly after Modi went to Jaitly’s residence on Tuesday, ostensibly for a dinner, he was told to shoulder the responsibilities.
Asked during a briefing on Pakistan’s willingness for a bilateral meeting with India, Gopal Baglay, Joint Secretary in the MEA said,”We have not received any request for a bilateral meeting. However, Aziz’s presence who is the de facto Minister for Foreign Affairs — from Pakistan will draw attention, in view of relations plummeting sharply in recent weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will jointly inaugurate the ministerial deliberations on Sunday.
“Terrorism is the biggest challenge which has beset the whole region. It (terror) is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan. It is a major threat to regional peace and stability.
We have to discuss this question and we have to face it very squarely. I think the HoA Ministerial conference provides us with the opportunity required to face the challenge head on,” Baglay said.
On his part, the Afghan envoy said there was a need to take collective measures to fight terrorism and uproot the “breeding ground” of the menace and its “safe sanctuaries”, in obvious reference to Pakistan. Abdali said Afghanistan was pushing for “binding” clauses in the framework to effectively contain terror infrastructure.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Shaida Mohammad Abdali")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}