ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday blamed the administration in Kabul for “daily instances of terrorism” in Pakistan while responding to Afghan criticism that his country was helping the Taliban.
Afghanistan has witnessed a significant escalation in insurgent violence since the United States announced to pull out its troops from the war-battered country earlier this year.
As the Taliban started capturing key districts and strategic border crossings in Afghanistan, officials in Kabul pointed a finger at Pakistan for backing the group and indirectly supporting the ongoing violence in Afghanistan.
“Pakistan stands for peace, we have nothing to gain from conflict,” Hussain said in a Twitter post while naming the Afghan national security adviser who he implicitly accused of working for someone other than Afghanistan.
Pakistan stands for peace, we have nothing to gain from conflict. Infact, it is Kabul Govt that needs to answer for the daily instances of terrorism in Pakistan sponsored and coordinated from Afghanistan. Everyone knows People like HamdUllah works for whom... #AfghanPeaceProcess
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 10, 2021
Afghanistan has not yet responded to Pakistan's allegations. In the past, Kabul has denied state complicity in acts of terror in Pakistan that its government has said were linked to Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s energy minister Hammad Azhar also criticized Afghan officials for blaming Pakistan for the situation in Afghanistan, saying their allegations against his country were “baseless.”
He maintained that the Afghan National Security Forces had “surrendered voluntarily” to the Taliban despite all the money that had been spent on their training and equipment.
“Afghan government should own its failures,” he continued, adding that his country strongly desired “peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
Pakistan rejects baseless allegations from certain quarters in Afghanistan. Repeatedly, ANSF has surrendered voluntarily during battle, despite massive financial support. Afghan government should own its failures. Pakistan strongly desires for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) August 10, 2021
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s adviser on political affairs Shahbaz Gill also maintained that Afghan officials were running a smear campaign against Pakistan “instead of fighting on the ground.”
“Daily their forces surrender and daily they blame Pakistan,” he said. “Fight! Don’t do propaganda.”
The Taliban control over 60% of Afghanistan but somehow Afghan officials run a campaign maligning Pakistan for their own failures instead of fighting on the ground. Daily their forces surrender and daily they blame Pakistan. Fight! Don’t do propaganda.
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) August 10, 2021
Last week, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram held a media briefing in New York, denying the accusation of the Afghan envoy who told a Security Council session that the Taliban “continue to enjoy a safe haven in and supply and logistic line extended to their war machine from Pakistan.”
“We would never allow our soil to be used to destabilize Afghanistan and expect the same from Afghanistan,” he told the correspondents.
The US administration has also asked Pakistan to use its “influence” with the Taliban and convince the group to end violence in the war-torn country, though the administration in Islamabad maintains it started losing its leverage with the insurgent group after it started capturing territory in Afghanistan.
