South Asia

Regional tensions at Colombo summit

Article published on the 2008-08-02 Latest update 2008-08-02 14:10 TU

Pakistan's Gilani arrives at the summit
(Photo: Reuters)

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on Saturday told the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (Saarc) summit in Sri Lanka that "terrorism" is a challenge to the whole region and has "institutional support" in Islamabad. Pakistan and India's Prime Ministers held a closed meeting on the fringes of the meeting, as tension between the two countries rise.

"It is time we all realise that the pursuit of narrow geopolitical interest and the use of militant radicalism as instrument of policy cannot succeed or serve any long term purpose," Karzai said in a sideswipe at Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, which he and the US accuse of backing Taliban violence in his country.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf raza Gilani declared that terrorism must be fought "individually and collectively".

On the sidelines of the meeting he met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the first time. Delhi has given credence to claims that the ISI were involved in the bomb attack on its Kabul embassy which killed at least 50 people.

There have also been ceasefire violations along the Line of Control which divides the state of Kashmir.

Security is tight at the summit. Heavy fighting in Tamil-majority areas 250 kilometers north of Colombo was reported on Saturday. Sri Lankan officials claim that at least 14 government soldiers and 38 fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were killed.

Saarc brings together Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.