With Afghanistan facing a more difficult security situation than ever before, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's visit to India is significant. While both sides "reviewed" and "positively" assessed the multi-faceted strategic partnership between India and Afghanistan, both sides also discussed the security situation in Afghanistan.

Government sources confirmed what was reported by Mail Today a day earlier that India and Afghanistan discussed the new government that is in place in Pakistan. Sources said that the Afghan President's assessment, after meeting Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Kabul, is that "there has been no discernible change in the new government in Pakistan".

In fact, India Today learnt that President Ghani in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested that around 100-150 Pakistani nationals have been identified as being behind the Ghazni attack, in which hundreds of civilians and security personnel were killed earlier in August.

The assault on Ghazni city by the Taliban has been one of the worst that Afghanistan has witnessed. It's the strategically vital centre, two hours from Kabul on the main highway between the capital and southern Afghanistan. Ghazni woke the Afghan administration to Pakistani establishment's complicity and the need for peace.

Addressing a civic reception organised by the India Foundation later in the day, Ghani said, "Why is peace with Taliban important? Because if we arrive at peace with Taliban, we can concentrate on counter-terrorism. No matter how long the process goes on for and how much blood is spilt, Taliban is a part of our society. Foreigners, members of Daesh, these international networks are different".

Also earlier in the day, President Ghani briefed PM Modi on initiatives by his government towards peace and reconciliation and also in confronting the challenges of terrorism and extremism imposed on Afghanistan and its people.

An official statement issued by India condemning the violence and terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and expressing solidarity with the people and forces, which said, "The Prime Minister reiterated India's support to an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace and reconciliation process that would enable Afghanistan to continue as a united, peaceful, inclusive and democratic nation and emerge as an economically vibrant country."

During the meeting, the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the increase in bilateral trade that has crossed the US$ 1 billion mark.

"The two leaders also appreciated the successful conclusion of the India-Afghanistan trade and investment show in Mumbai from September 12-15, 2018 and expressed determination to strengthen connectivity, including through Chabahar port and Air-Freight Corridor. It was agreed to deepen the new development partnership in the areas of high impact projects in this field of infrastructure, human resources development and other capacity building projects in Afghanistan," the statement said.

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