Pakistani officials’ ‘baseless’ statements damaging ties: Govt

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said that ‘baseless statements’ by Pakistani officials were not good for relations between the two countries.

A statement from MoFA received by Pajhwok Afghan News said that there was need for a permanent peace in Afghanistan and in the region considering the current critical situation, but Pakistani officials’ statements were hurting the peace process.

Afghanistan and the international community wanted Pakistan to use its influence on the Taliban and prepare them for negotiations so it would put the ongoing bloodshed to an end in the war-torn country, the statement said.

The ministry said that unfounded statements from Pakistani officials were damaging relations between the two neighbors.

Afghanistan is committed to talking with Pakistan on all fundamental issues through diplomatic channels, the source added.

Pakistani foreign minister, Shah MehmodQureshi in an interview with Tolo News said that high violence from Taliban was ‘exaggerated’.

He said that destructive groups such as Islamic State or Daesh and some other circles inside Afghanistan ‘whose interests are in war’ were involved in recent incidents.

Afghan National Security Advisor (NSA), HamdullahMohib strongly reacted to Qureshi’s statements on violence in Afghanistan.

Mohib in a tweet today said, “This comes as Taliban launch violent offensives against Afghan people across the country, we know how and why they continue to be enabled to do this. Qureshi is either uninformed, ignorant or accomplice. Maybe he also rejects that, Osama was found next to Pakistani Military HQ.”

On the other hand, a statement from Pakistani foreign ministry reacted to HamdullahMohib’s tweet.

The ministry condemned Mohib’s statements about Pakistan’s interference in Afghanistan and called it as baseless.

It said that the international community had widely accepted Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process.

This is not the first time the two countries engage in verbal clash and blame game. Pakistan around a month ago also strongly reacted to Mohib’s statements on Pakistan’s support to insurgents in Afghanistan.

Mds/ma