Time to take bold action: Afghanistan backs India on surgical strikes

New Delhi, Sep 30: Afghanistan on Friday backed India's cross-border surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistani territory, saying "it is time to take bold action".

Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida Mohammed Abdali, speaking to reporters here, said: "We hope no one will allow safe havens for terrorists to be used against neighbours."

"Pakistan can't stay in a constant state of denial and cannot remain unanswered," Abdali said at the Foreign Correspondents Club here.

Abdali, who earlier had said that his country was willing to consider a joint boycott of the Saarc summit along with India and other members, said that Pakistan was not reciprocating the goodwill shown by its neighbours and that's why the four nations pulled out from the upcoming summit in Islamabad.

"Right now the environment is not conducive to conduct the Saarc summit, with terrorism continuing in region," he added. India, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan have pulled out of the Saarc summit.

To a question on Balochistan, with India flagging the cause of alleged rights violations in the Pakistani province, the Afghan envoy said: "We sympathise with the people of Balochistan. We hope the Baloch people will have a life free of terror and live peacefully."

He also said there is "no doubt that the Pakistan state sponsors terror".

"If terror groups exist, self defence in the form of action we saw, will continue," the envoy added.