Ghani: Terrorists Uses Pakistan Territory Against Afghanistan

President Ashraf Ghani in his meeting with ambassadors of foreign countries said that Pakistan’s action against terrorists in the coming weeks will determine the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ashraf Ghani summoned ambassadors of foreign countries to Presidential Palace to remind them the involvement of Pakistan in Afghanistan affairs too.

He told the foreign ambassadors that Shah Shahid suicide attack was designed and planned in Pakistan.

The National Unity Government leader emphasized that terrorist uses Pakistan against Afghanistan and Pakistan must understand the sensitivity of the issue and take serious measure against them.

Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan at the government level have been problematic for historical and geo-political reasons.

Previously, President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah strongly criticized Pakistan government for sheltering terrorism on its soil and asked Islamabad to rein in Taliban.

Then Pakistani officials reacted to the comments by President Ghani and stated that Pakistan can feel the pain of Afghanistan but Pakistan itself is a biggest victim of terrorism.

Currently, the major source of friction between the two countries is Afghanistan’s misplaced allegation that Pakistan has been supporting cross-border infiltration and is assisting the Taliban and militant forces to gain influence. Islamabad vehemently denies these allegations and considers it as a tactic by Kabul to divest itself from its own responsibilities and failures.

When everything’s factored in, Pakistan’s dual approach towards Afghanistan in cooperating with the Afghan state and the Taliban simultaneously is a well thought-out strategy. It’s giving Pakistan traction in pursuing the politics of space currently going on in Afghanistan.

“We have specific demands from Pakistan to clear its position against Afghan government,” Zafar Hashemi, deputy spokesman of President said.

Meanwhile, Afghan analysts praised President Ghani’s action against Pakistan; emphasizing this action will put Afghanistan in a better position.

Deputy of Wolesi Jirga- the lower house of Parliament is said to believe that according to the diplomatic relations, foreign countries are obliged to support Afghan government position.

“Whenever a foreign country obviously interferes in our country, other foreign countries must support Afghanistan’s position,” Nazir Ahmad Ahmad Zai, deputy spokesman of Wolesi Jirga said.

He further added that the Parliament will hold an extraordinary session to support President Ghani’s position against Pakistan.

This comes as US ambassador in a meeting with the chief of executive officer, Abdullah Abdullah said that his country support Afghanistan’s recent position against Pakistan.

He stressed that America will never abandon Afghanistan in war against terrorism.

Since the Taliban’s 2001 ouster, Afghan insurgents have found safe havens in Pakistan. The command and control of the three main militant groups – Mullah Omar’s Shura (council), Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hizb-e Islami and the al-Qaeda-linked Haq¬qani network – are based in and operate from Pakistan. These havens have and could continue to undermine Afghanistan’ efforts to confront the insurgency after the security transition in December 2014.