Ashraf Ghani pitches for regional strategy to tackle terrorism

NEW DELHI: Asserting that terrorism was a threat to all its neighbours, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today pitched for a coherent regional strategy to deal with the menace but indicated that his government may engage with Taliban under the constitutional framework.

The visiting leader also thanked India for its assistance in rebuilding his country and said Afghanistan which was fighting a war imposed on it was looking at Indian investors for its prosperity.

India has so far contributed nearly $2.2 billion for various projects there, he said.

India was part of four out of five diplomatic priority circles which include being a neighbour, having the second largest Muslim population and as one of the top investors, Ghani, on his first visit here after assuming office in September last, told reporters.

Describing the Islamic terrorist outfit ISIS as a "man-eater like Bengal tiger", he said the fundamental shift last year has been changing global terror networks and their realignments.

"Every single one of our neighbours is threatened by these networks and ISIS at large," he told reporters at a press conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

He cited the example of threats by The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) to China and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan to Uzbek people.

Asserting that the ISIS was a new phenomenon and terrorism does not travel on passport or is a respecter of boundaries, Ghani said, "We must deal with it as a region".

Asked about attacks in Afghanistan's Kunduz city ahead of his visit here and status of talks with Taliban, the visiting leader did not give a direct answer but indicated that there may be role for it in Afghan policy under country's constitutional framework.

"What is the difference between Taliban and other networks of terror? The latter have no place in our future policy if they are produced by conditions in their countries or by ideas of destabilisation. So we must deal with them," he said, implying that his government was not averse to holding talks with Taliban under Afghan Constitution framework.