Afghanistan, on Friday, backed India's cross-border surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistani territory, saying "it is time to take bold action".
Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammed Abdali, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, said: "We hope no one will allow safe havens for terrorists to be used against neighbours."
“Pakistan can’t stay in a constant state of denial and cannot remain unanswered,” Abdali said at the Foreign Correspondents Club.
Abdali, who earlier had said that his country was willing to consider a joint boycott of the SAARC summit along with India and other members, said that Pakistan was not reciprocating the goodwill shown by its neighbours and that's why the four nations pulled out from the upcoming summit in Islamabad.
"Right now, the environment is not conducive to conduct the SAARC summit, with terrorism continuing in region," he added. India, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan have pulled out of the SAARC summit.
He also said there is "no doubt that the Pakistan state sponsors terror".
"If terror groups exist, self defence in the form of action we saw, will continue," the envoy added.
Abdali said it was "high time we take tough decisions" and they may be "risky" but are needed to be taken to end terrorism.
He said such decisions may have a cost but the cost is worth it because "we have to end this continued terrorism that affects our people, our lives every day and is taking our vision backward day by day."
On Balochistan
Asked about the situation in Balochistan and the human rights violations there, Abdali said, "We have a problem of terrorism and Balochistan is our neighbour. We are being affected from our neighbourhood. Terrorism exists and at the same time people suffer there."
"We want to fight terrorism for the sake of all of us. For the sake of the common people of Pakistan, for the Balochis there and for all others living there, especially the Pashtuns. So we would like to end the atrocity, the wars in whatever forms there may be in order for the people to live freely," the Afghan envoy said.
I fully sympathise with the people of Balochistan, who are suffering. There is a war going on... We should speak for all human beings. Its a human rights issue. We hope that the people of Balochistan will have a peaceful life and a free life," he said.
On SAARC
Asked about four countries – India, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh – pulling out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad, he said the environment is "not conducive" to convening the conference when terrorism was "at its peak".
"Being selective against terrorism, and that continues to exist, can make those who are affected to decide whether we should continue our business as usual or whether we should think and rethink on our approach to regional affairs or the mechanism that we have, especially SAARC," Abdali said.
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