If anyone expected a Pakistan-bashing session from Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in India, there was not a whiff of this antagonism on display on Monday.
NEW DELHI: If anyone expected a Pakistan-bashing session from Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in India, considering the loud complaints he made to President Bush about Islamabad’s role in Afghanistan, there was not a whiff of this antagonism on display on Monday.
Irrespective of what they said at the closed door meetings on terrorism, both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Karzai in public maintained that India, Afghanistan and Pakistan were all victims of terror and had to come together against the common menace. For the last few months, New Delhi has not made any public charges against Pakistan on terrorism. Indian officials also concede that infiltration levels have actually come down.
Karzai said he was willing to take the help of “all countries, including our brothers in Pakistan, to fight terror.” During President Bush’s trip to Kabul, Karzai had complained bitterly against t President Musharraf, who responded by a tirade against his Afghani counterpart. But on Monday, despite questions on terrorism, Karzai decided not to say a word against Pakistan in Indian soil. Instead, he emphasised on good relations with his immediate neighbour and said that Afghanistan’s bilateral trade with Pakistan had jumped considerably in the last few years, from a paltry $25 million in the past to over $1.2 billion now. And the figures are likely to go up, he said.
Pakistan has allowed Afghanistan to use its territory for trade with India. However, Islamabad is not ready to provide the same courtesy for Indian goods to go through to Afghanistan. India has to send everything through Iran, and then by road to northern Afghanistan. During secretary level talks in Islamabad earlier this month, for the first time, Pakistan was willing to put the issue of transit on the table for further discussions.
Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Karzai has spoken to President Musharraf for transit facilities for India. Karzai said: “I have discussed transit between Afghanistan, Pakistan and India with brother Musharraf. Pakistan already allows transit for Afghan goods to India. Islamabad wants to send goods to East Asia through India,” Karzai said.
Earlier, while welcoming President Karzai, Prime Minister Singh announced an additional Indian credit of US $50 million to Afghanistan, with which, the total assistance to Kabul from New Delhi stands at around $650 million. India is playing a big role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Around $200 million has already been spent on various projects.
Karzai is travelling with a huge business delegation in an effort to promote business ties with India. The President will visit Hyderabad tomorrow, where he will visit the hi-tech city, the national remote sensing agency, a pilot rural development project and the offices of the Tata Consultancy Services.
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