Cricket is symbol of 'hope for treasure' for Afghan people says India's UN Representative

United Nations, June 27 - Cricket is a symbol of "hope for treasure" in Afghanistan that is now battered by terrorism springing from safe havens in Pakistan, according to India's UN Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin. The immortal lines of the

The resilience of the Afghan people was being tried by the terrorist onslaught like the spring offensive from the Taliban that has taken many lives, he said.

"Such offensives are planned and launched from safe havens in the neighborhood of Afghanistan," Akbaruddin said pointing fingers at Pakistan.

"Notwithstanding the efforts made by the international community there are still those who provide sanctuaries to support the dark agendas of terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, IS, Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad," he said.

He warned that the terrorism problem of Afghanistan was a global challenge with a reminder that "the same safe havens that sheltered (the late Taliban leader) Mullah Omar also sheltered Osama bin Laden," the Al Qaeda leader who launched the 9/11 assaults on the US in 2001 and other attacks around the world.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in Abbottobad and Omar died in Karachi even as the world was looking for them.

"We do not need a catastrophe again to remind us that Afghanistan requires strong and steady international support in elimination of what is a threat to global peace and security," he added.

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Arul Louis/IANS