External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna has said that Pakistan's ISI continue to play a disruptive role by providing aid to the Afghanistan Taliban to complicate the military situation there. <br/>Mr. Krishna said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York that they are still together and working in tandem. His comments came as a report by US top commander in Afghanistan mentioned that Afghanistan’s insurgency is clearly supported from Pakistan. <br/>The report, leaked two days ago, said that senior leaders of major Afghan insurgent groups are based in Pakistan, are linked with Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups and are reportedly aided by some elements of Pakistan ISI. <br/>A New York Times report today quoting US officials further said that senior Taliban leaders are using their sanctuary in Pakistan to stoke a widening campaign of violence in northern and western Afghanistan, considered peaceful till a few months back. <br/>The report says American officials have long complained that senior Taliban leaders operating from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan Province in Pakistan, provide money, military supplies and strategic planning guidance to the Taliban in the south of Afghanistan, where most of Taliban-led militancy is based.<br/>External Affairs Minister in the wide- ranging interview on Afghan situation, warned against external interference in Afghanistan’s political process and called for a political settlement. He said India doesn’t believe that war could be a solution for solving any problem and it applies to Afghanistan also. <br/>Mr. Krishna said if there are internal differences within Afghanistan, the leaders of Afghanistan will sort it out by themselves. He downplayed reports of electoral fraud in Afghanistan saying it happens in every election that the results are questioned. <br/>The minister said India’s role in Afghanistan is to help them stabilize on their infrastructure development and that is India’s immediate concern. India has committed 1.2 billion dollars for a host of reconstruction projects ranging from roads and bridges to power transmission lines and small development projects.<br/>
News On AIR | September 24, 2009 1:33 PM
ISI plays disruptive role by aiding Taliban in Afghanistan: Krishna