'India not for any selective approach to terrorism'

KABUL: India on Tuesday firmly said there cannot be any selective approach in fighting terrorism and sought an end to sustenance and sanctuaries for terrorists from outside Afghanistan, a veiled reference to terror camps in Pakistan.

New Delhi also said that any new process to stabilise the war-torn Afghanistan must be fully "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" where violence is given up and all links with terrorism--whether 'jehadi' or state-sponsored--cut off.

The international community should ensure that there is no selectivity in dealing with terrorism, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said in a statement at the international conference on Afghanistan. He supported the Afghan peace process which, he said, should be "inclusive and transparent."

"Terrorism cannot be compartmentalised. Today, one cannot distinguish between al-Qaida and plethora of terrorist organisations which have imbibed the goals and techniques of al-Qaida.

"It is therefore, essential to ensure that support, sustenance and sanctuaries for terrorist organisations from outside Afghanistan are ended forthwith," he told the delegates, including his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi who was among the 30-odd Foreign Ministers present at the meet. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also present at the meet attended by 70 countries.

He said the new process to stabilise the war-torn country must carry all sections of the nation's population.

Describing India and Afghanistan as "historic friends," Krishna said New Delhi has contributed to this country's efforts in nation-building and reconstruction "entirely in accordance with the priorities of the Afghan government and people."

"The international community must learn lessons from past experiences at negotiating with fundamentalist and extremist organisations and ensure that any peace process is conducted in an inclusive and transparent manner," Krishna said.

"India also supports Afghanistan's efforts towards peace and reintegration. But for such effort to succeed, it must be fully Afghan-led and Afghan-owned and carry all sections of Afghanistan's population together as well as abide by the redlines agreed to at the London Conference," he said.

The London Conference on Afghanistan, he noted, had emphasised on giving up violence, cutting off all links with terrorism - whether 'jehadi' or state-sponsored - and accepting the democratic and pluralistic values of the Afghan Constitution, including women's rights.