Expressing outrage at the suicide bombing in the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday attacked Pakistan, saying terrorism and its sanctuaries were gaining 'a deeper grip' in that country.
Karzai emphasised the need for more collective action to deal with terrorism, which he described as a growing threat not only to Afghanistan and India but also to the entire region.
"In Pakistan, terrorism and its sanctuaries are gaining a deeper grip as demonstrated by the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto," he said while addressing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit in Colombo.
Terrorism biggest threat to South Asia: PM
"While existing on the absolute fringes of our tolerant and peace loving societies, terrorists in our region receive institutional nurturing and support. It is this embedded nature of terrorism that make it a much more sinister threat," the Afghan president said.
Condoling the loss of precious lives in the July 7 attack on Indian embassy in Kabul that killed nearly 60 people including four Indians, Karzai said no outrage or condemnation will cool down the anger over the mindless violence.
"While the people of Afghanistan today are bearing the brunt of international terrorism on a daily basis, it is with tremendous trepidation that we are watching the wild fire of terrorism spreading across the region," he said.
"It is time we all realise that the pursuit of narrow geo-political interest and the use of militant radicalism as instrument of policy cannot succeed or serve any long term purpose," Karzai said. "In a region, prone to many challenges, terrorism may well prove to be the most destabilising."
He called for an urgent and more collective action against terrorism to secure the lives of the future generations. "Never before has there been a greater need for collective action against terrorism as today," Karzai said.