India affirms support to Afghstan in choosing legitimate govt: Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured President Ashraf Gh that India will support Afghstan to ensure that a "legitimate government is chosen through the democratic process", said sources on Thursday.

Modi who held a bilateral meeting with Gh on sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Orgsation (SCO) Summit here promised that India will fulfil all expectations of Afghstan.

The war-torn nations is scheduled to undergo three elections--presidential, the provincial councils and the Ghazni parliamentary elections--simultaneously on September 28.

Afghstan has a long troubled history of elections. Last year, the October's elections were marred by roadside bomb attacks by Taliban. The problems also included malfunctioning of biometric voter verification equipment, incomplete voter lists and huge delays at polling sites.

The elections which were supposed to occur on April 20 were postponed due to "mounting pressure" on Independent Election Commission in Kabul to conduct effective voting.

Citing Bangladesh example, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the importance of cooperation, sources said.

Meanwhile, during the talks, Gh apprised the development in the peace process led by US special envoy to Afghstan Zalmay Khalilzad. Notably, Khalilzad has held many rounds of talks with the Taliban but no agreement has been reached yet. On Monday, the new rounds of discussion were started to revive the stalled talks.

Gh also urged Modi to see terrorism and drugs through a single prism fueling the other.

The two leaders also discussed Pakistan, Afghstan President Gh raised questions on the "sincerity of Pakistan" in fighting terrorism, sources added.

Afghstan and India both have blamed Pakistan for supporting and harbouring terrorist groups.

Afghstan President Gh had strongly condemned the terror attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Thursday killing around 40 CRPF personnel.

The CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday.

The convoy comprised 78 buses in which around 2500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.

( With inputs from ANI )