After Heart of Asia conclave, India and Pakistan trade barbs

India would not succeed in driving a wedge between Afghanistan and Pakistan, said Pakistan’s foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz on Monday on his return from Amritsar, after attending the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference.

He was responding to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s broadsides at Pakistan giving sanctuary to terrorists and waging an ‘undeclared war’ against both the countries.

Aziz told Pakistani media that he had held separate talks with the Afghan President and assured him that Pakistan would not allow its land to be used against Afghanistan. The two of them had also discussed about better border management while the Afghan President suggested a trilateral arrangement between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. “We have both religious and cultural ties with Afghanistan and India will not succeed in its attempt to create fissures,” he reportedly said.

The Afghan President’s comment that the Taliban would not last a month without support from Pakistan, he said, was aimed to please India and need not be taken too seriously.

Pakistani newspaper Dawn in an editorial commented that while no major breakthrough was expected at the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference, the way Pakistan was singled out was disappointing. Among other things, the editorial added, “Unhappily, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had something else in mind; both bluntly attacked Pakistan. Mr Modi seemed to go out of his way to slight Pakistan, with Mr Aziz mostly kept at arm’s length and relegated to a separate table at a dinner hosted by the Indian prime minister. Meanwhile, President Ghani, a central figure at a conference held essentially to find ways to assist Afghanistan, seemed more interested in venting his frustrations on Pakistan and pulling other rivals of this country closer in an ad hoc alliance against it. It made for riveting headlines, but in truth may have only set back further the cause of stability and peace in the region. The good faith in which Mr Aziz went to Amritsar was not reciprocated.”

While Aziz also complained about ill treatment by his hosts at Amritsar and reiterated that he was not allowed to meet even visiting Pakistani newsmen, Indian officials claimed that India had gone out of its way to accommodate Aziz. There was no reason to complain, they told Press Trust of India.

The Indian side maintained that a rare exception was made to allow arrival and departure of Aziz, who led the Pakistani delegation, by air at Amritsar which is not a designated port for entry and exit of Pakistani nationals, besides giving swift clearance despite a last minute change in his scheduled arrival by a special flight.

"They have no reasons to complain. We were gracious hosts. Extended tarmac access, gave additional rooms, provided armoured cars (not given to every Foreign Minister) and other conveniences keeping special security requirements in view.

"This was done despite the last minute change of programme and advancing of arrival in Amritsar by special flight by more than 12 hours. Fresh flight clearance was issued within minutes," the sources said.

They said Aziz could be present in the official dinner and in the call on Prime Minister on the evening of October 3 due to the last minute clearance given.

With PTI inputs