Pakistan sees "zero" political or military role for India in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on 20 September, weeks after US President Donald Trump sought more help from New Delhi to bring peace and stability in the war-torn country.
Trump, while announcing his new Afghan and South Asia policy last month, had criticised Pakistan for harbouring terrorists.
The US President had also called on India to help the US more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development.
Asked about India's role in Afghanistan, Abbasi said, "Zero."
"Do you see a business role for them in Afghanistan as investors?" he was asked.
"That's up to them. All countries have the right to trade with each other, invest in other countries. So if they want to do that—and India has invested in Afghanistan in the past," Abbasi said.
The Pakistan Prime Minister dismissed the question of links between the Haqqani network and Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI.
Abbasi said that nobody wants peace more in Afghanistan than Pakistan.
Asked about the presence of terrorist groups and individuals like Hafeez Saeed in Pakistan, Abbasi said he belonged to a proscribed organisation.
"We have taken action against him. He is in house arrest.
Addressing a New York audience at an event organised by the Council on Foreign Relations – a top American think-tank – Abbasi said Pakistan wanted its relationship with the US to move forward despite differences.
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)