Indo-Afghan trade: Ghani threatens to 'block' Pakistan

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today tore into Pakistan's stance of "good terrorists and bad terrorists" saying the approach is "extremely shortsighted" and warned that those who try to block increasing Indo-Afghan trade will be blocked themselves.

Mincing no words, Ghani said Pakistan is a country which celebrates "every single one of its defeat" as victory and every single one of its intelligence failure as a confirmation of conspiracy theory.

In his address at the IDSA here, the Afghan President also said countries that feel threatened by increasing Indo-Afghan cooperation, especially in the military side, "need to change their outlook and not blame others".

Noting that stability does not come through the barrel of the gun, he said, "We see that there is a distinction between good and bad terrorists. Good terrorists are the ones that attack your neighbours, bad terrorists are the ones who attack you. This type of approach is enormously shortsighted. The blowback phenomenon is going to be bad. Terrorism will bite, like a snake, who feeds it".

He stressed on the need for regional cooperation to fight terrorists and said one country's response is "totally insufficient".

Asked about Pakistan blocking road route to Afghanistan via the Wagah border, Ghani said both countries need to worry as there is air connectivity and efforts are on to increase that.

However, he said those who try to block two great nations, will be blocked themselves.

Told that they are reports that he had warned Pakistan that their export to central Asian countries through Afghanistan will be blocked, Ghani said he speaks sternly.

• India Afghanistan
• Indo Afghan trade
• Afghan President Ashraf Ghani