Abdullah calls for closure of terrorist safe havens

The international community has failed to arrive at an acceptable definition of terrorism, Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah said on Wednesday.

He asked the UN General Assembly to treat all shades of terrorism as one, shut down the breeding grounds and sanctuaries and prosecute or repatriate violent extremists.

“All stakeholders need to agree to treat all shades of terrorism as one, shut down the breeding grounds and sanctuaries and to prosecute the violators. The response thus far has been sparse and insufficient.

“We are working with all countries near and afar to bring about better results,” said Abdullah, who took pains to explain how terrorist safe haven in the neighborhood continued to bleed Afghanistan.

For almost a quarter of a century, the CEO said, Afghanistan had experienced the loss of tens of thousands of innocent lives and major infrastructural damage.

“It is partly because of geography, and partly because of short-sighted strategies and regional agendas that have generated an umbilical reliance on non-state actors used to keep others unstable through violence,” he remarked.

“We have asked neighboring states, especially Pakistan, to help targeted societies – including their own – deal with this menace. We are looking forward to the effective implementation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APPAPS),” Abdullah said.