Kabul, February 21 (Outlook Afghanistan): The Chief Executive of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah said at the Council of Ministers’ meeting here on Monday, that Afghanistan is a victim of terrorism and it is unfair to accuse the state of supporting terror and violence.
“The only solution is to cooperate with our anti-terror campaign and to stop supporting terrorism,” Abdullah said.
He was referring to Pakistan’s complaint that Afghanistan has been sending terrorists to Pakistan to kill people there. Recently Pakistan sought the extradition of 76 named terrorists who are holed up on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and fired rockets to kill terrorists in camps on the border.
“We are a victim of terror and it is unfair to accuse Afghanistan of supporting terror and violence,” Abdullah Abdullah said.
His comments come days after Pakistan claimed that insurgents hidden in Afghanistan planned last week’s attack at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sindh province which killed 75 people and injured nearly 300 others.
Following the attack, Pakistan closed Torkham crossing and started shelling missiles into eastern parts of Afghanistan.
“Violence across the Durand Line has increased in the past couple of days and it has concerned people on both sides,” Abdullah said.
“Afghanistan has a friendly foreign policy and friendly relations with its neighbors, but it does not mean we should be accused,” he added.
Security forces have been ordered to avoid any move which sparks violence in areas along the Durand Line, Abdullah said.
On Sunday, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) warned that Kabul will use all its power in response to Pakistan if it did not stop rocket attacks on Afghanistan soil.
“We hope that Pakistan stops the attacks and that the relationship between the two countries will return to normal. If not, Afghanistan will not sit silent, but will use its internal, regional and international power in response to Pakistan’s actions,” Faramarz Tamana, Director of Strategic Studies at Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
President Ashraf Ghani said earlier that Afghanistan and Pakistan should unite against terrorism and not to differentiate among terrorists.
“As long as we divide terrorists into good and bad terrorists, we will lose. If we do not differentiate among terrorists and mobilize our forces, we can eliminate terrorism,” Ghani said.
In recent years Kabul-Islamabad relationships have repeatedly deteriorated over fighting terrorists. At times Western officials supported Kabul viewpoints in this regard.
Recently a number of American analysts said in a report that if Pakistan continues supporting terrorists, Washington’s aid to Pakistan ought to be stopped and the international community should recognize Pakistan as a supporter of terrorists.
(The featured image above is that of the CEO of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah)
