ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Sunday rejected baseless allegations levelled against Pakistan by Afghanistan soon after an attack in Kabul.
Sartaj, in a statement here, said: "Following the brutal terrorist attack in Kabul on May 31, 2017, we have witnessed with serious concern baseless accusations against Pakistan by certain elements in and outside Afghanistan, made within minutes of the attack and obviously before any investigation." The accusatory approach, he said, was instigated by those who had ** interest in peace in Afghanistan and their malicious agenda was to damage Afghanistan-Pakistan relations and the cooperation initiatives recently gaining momentum.
He said Pakistan had condemned the Kabul terrorist attack in the strongest terms. "Being a victim of terrorism, we feel the pain and agony of the Afghan people." He said Afghanistan faced serious internal challenges including growing violence caused by insurgency, expanding foothold of Daesh and other terrorist groups exploiting the country's ungoverned spaces. Increasing drug production and trafficking provided financial support for sustaining terrorism and militancy. Combating the huge challenges, he said, required strengthening of security network while levelling allegations against other countries only signified a tendency to externalize the internal challenges faced by Afghanistan. Sartaj said Afghan authorities should undertake a transparent investigation into the incident to make a determination about the perpetrators of the attack.
Pakistan supports any such investigation, he added. "We in Pakistan are convinced that a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan. Pakistan has, therefore, continued to reaffirm its support to the efforts for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said.
06-05-2017, 04:12 AM
Sartaj rejects allegations of Kabul attack
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