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US called on Pakistan to help reduce terrorist attacks in Afghanistan
U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice told to top Paksitani civilian and military officials in Islamabad that attacks in neighboring Afghanistan by Pakistan-based militants were “absolutely unacceptable,”.
In a daylong visit to the capital, Islamabad, Ms. Rice met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Gen. Raheel Sharif, the army chief, and other senior government officials. Ms. Rice also formally extended an invitation from President Obama to Mr. Sharif to visit Washington in October.
Ms. Rice pressed Pakistan to do more to prevent terrorists from using its territory as a base for attacks on its neighboring states and to improve ties with India and Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses both countries of sponsoring anti-Pakistan militants.
“In Islamabad discussed how to deepen coop. to tackle shared priorities. Encouraged Pakistan to advance regional peace & stability,” a post on Ms. Rice’s Twitteraccount said on Sunday. She met Mr. Sharif and the country’s army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif.
A senior U.S. official who briefed reporters in Islamabad said Rice brought up this month’s rash of attacks that killed more than 50 people in the Afghan capital as an example of how militants based in Pakistan continue to destabilize much of South Asia.
“We think a series of recent deadly attacks in Kabul were perpetrated by the Haqqani network,” the official said.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” the official added.
The Haqqani network was described as a “veritable arm” of the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency – Pakistan’s powerful military spy wing – by the then-chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2011.
Pakistan denies supporting the Haqqani network, an Islamist movement loosely allied with both the Afghan Taliban and al Qaida.
Rice also told Pakistan to “take advantage of the death of Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership transition,” which provides opportunities to “degrade the Taliban” and “reduce violence,” according to the senior U.S. official.
The latest Kabul attacks came after the revelation of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar’s death two years ago, which derailed nascent peace talks initially hosted by Pakistan between the Taliban and the Western-backed government in Kabul.
Militant attacks have “developed into a key point of regional friction. Addressing this challenge will be imperative for Pakistan’s relations with its neighbor and with Washington,” the U.S. official said.
Pakistani officials say that while they are expected to do more against militants, there is also a need for Americans and Afghans to counter the threat. During the meeting, Pakistani officials expressed concerns over Washington’s possible withholding of $300 million in military aid if the United States decides that Pakistan is not doing enough to combat attacks emanating from within its territory.
A senior Pakistani security official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the meeting between Ms. Rice and General Sharif lasted for two hours. “The discussion was very candid,” he said. “It discussed the part that has to be played by all stakeholders, including the Americans. The focus was on the way forward.”
This comes as that earlier, Washington has warned Pakistan that it stands to lose $300 million in U.S. military aid if it doesn’t crack down harder on the Haqqani network, American officials said. U.S. officials have described the Haqqani network as closely tied to Pakistan’s military intelligence agency.
At least 294 people have died and 266 others have been injured in floods over the last ten days, the ministry of state for disaster management confirmed Tuesday.
According to the ministry, the floods have had an enormous financial impact on 14 provinces in the country.
The spokesman said 14,923 houses have been completely or partially destroyed and so far more than 17,000 families have been given emergency aid.
The process of providing relief is ongoing, he said.
In the past 10 days, 14 provinces experienced devastating floods due to heavy rains, especially Baghlan, Takhar, Ghor, Badghis, Badakhshan, Samangan and Faryab.
Janan Saiq, the spokesperson for the Ministry of State for Disaster Management says 294 have died and 266 others have been injured.
In addition, 14,923 houses were affected, either partially or completely damaged while 6,000 livestock were wiped out.
Saiq said assessment teams rushed to help the flood victims as soon as possible and so far more than 17,000 families have been provided with aid.
He said more families were still in need of emergency assistance and that they would be provided with help.
Aid provided by the ministry included food, clothes and tents. Saiq said shelters will also be provided to the flood affected people.
At the same time the United Nations says that Afghan women and children have suffered the most in the recent floods. The United Nations Women’s Office, stated in a report on the situation of flood victims in a number of northeastern provinces of Afghanistan, that women and children were disproportionately affected by this natural event, because they were inside their homes during heavy rains.
According to the report among the injured are 74 women and 51 children under the age of five. Another 220 people needed medical help, including 79 women, 74 men and 67 children. UN Women said that women and girls in particular need health packages and health products, as well as nutritious food for pregnant and lactating women.
At the same time, UNAMA also says that 60,000 people were affected by the flood in Baghlan province.
According to the UN, 182 people, most of whom are women and children, died in Baghlan following the recent floods. UNAMA humanitarian affairs deputy said that UN humanitarian teams have been deployed to help the flood victims in Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces.
Indrika Ratwatte added that so far, about 15,000 flood-affected people in northern Afghanistan have been supported by the United Nations and its partners.
On the other hand, UNAMA’s humanitarian aid coordinator in Afghanistan has emphasized that the international community should support the people of the country and help meet the needs of those affected by the floods.
Two hundred tons of emergency relief from Uzbekistan for flood victims has arrived at the Hairatan border post in northern Afghanistan and handed over to representatives of the Islamic Emirate on Tuesday.
The aid from Uzbekistan for flood victims included 48 tons of flour, 22 tons of rice, 100 tents, and 96 water tanks.
Rahmatul Haq Fazil, Afghanistan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, said relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan were historical and that Uzbekistan has always cooperated with the people of Afghanistan and taken positive steps in the political, economic, commercial and transit sectors.
At the same time, Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, said a path has been paved for the expansion of relations between the two countries.
Since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in August 2021, Uzbekistan has sent in 10 shipments of aid following a spate of natural disasters over the past two and a half years.
Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in the Kazakh capital this week and discussed issues around promoting stabilization in Afghanistan, combating terrorism and drug threats.
According to Kazakh media reports, the participants also discussed preparations for the upcoming SCO Head of State Summit scheduled for July and the Middle East situation.
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, India and Pakistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The organization recognizes Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus, Iraq and Sri Lanka as observers, but the Islamic Emirate has not been invited to the meeting.
SCO members have repeatedly expressed concerns about a terrorism threat from Afghanistan.
But the Islamic Emirate has emphasized repeatedly that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.
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