Punjabi Taliban leader Asmatullah Muaweya, in a video message, announced to renounce violence in Pakistan, adding the focus on fighting will now be on Afghanistan. He also said his group will focus on preaching in Pakistan.
“Pakistani Charge d’Affaires Syed Muazzam Shah was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, and a strong protest was lodged over the declaration of war made by the Punjabi Taliban on the Afghan side of the Durand Line,” a Ministry’s statement said. The Dari-language statement was also emailed to The Express Tribune.
Abdul Samad Samad, head of political affairs in the Afghan foreign ministry, condemned the threats made by Muaweya, and described his remarks as “clear conspiracies against the stability and security of Afghanistan.”
“Such statements are against international laws and principles of good neighbourly relations,” the statement quoted the Afghan official as telling the Pakistani envoy.
He said that many “Pakistani militants were killed or arrested” during recent clashes in various parts of the country.
Samad said the use of terrorism as a political tool is not in the interest of any nation, adding that the announcement by the Punjabi Taliban leader could increase the “killing of innocent people in Afghanistan.”
“The Pakistani charge d’affaires promised to convey the concerns of the Afghan government to the concerned Pakistani officials,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
COMMENTS (13)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
I love stepping on Indian tails.
@Ajeet "Afghans have always ruled over Pakistan."
Yes you are right. What is Pakistan today was part of Afghanistan for most of the history, and was ruled by Afghan kings. Would you now STOP! saying that Pakistan was historically India?
Majority of what is Pakistan today, was historically Afghan territory, British took it from Afghan empire and when leaving, gave people a choice to VOTE and decide what they want. Ghaffar Khan's party campaigned against Pakistan and lost the vote. I respect him for his peaceful struggle, respecting people's choice and accepting defeat in the vote. His descends now participate in Pakistan elections and have given up their demand. Today, no one in Pakistan wants to join Afghanistan.
@sandip Your comment is not worthy of a response.
@Bruteforce
Might is Right is an "unfortunate" reality. I never favoured it or called it "my" logic. Just mentioned an obvious trend in our "non perfect" world.
US being more powerful has already invaded more than 100 times all over the world in last century and also interferes in Pakistan's affairs regularly. Once again an unfortunate reality, but not a logical or good practice.
To give you a prospective, here are some wrongs done by Afghanistan when it was mightier.
1) Afghanistan initially refused to accept Pakistan as a country claiming a large chunk of its territory.
2) Soon after, it supported Pashtoonistan nationalists (and now Baluch separatists).
3) First PM of Pakistan was assassinated by an Afghan National, hailed as a hero amongst nationalist Afghans.
4) Refusal to accept the common border (till date)
5) Support for high jackers of Pakistani planes.
6) Military incursions in 50s and threats in 70s.
What Pakistan is doing in Afghanistan today is wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right. So Pakistan and Afghanistan should forget the past and move forward is my Logic.
I hope you understand, that merely stating some "facts" and presenting some prospective into Pakistan's "flawed" policy towards Afghanistan in today's date, does not automatically make it "my" logic.
@afghan: They do, and the proof is this very comment is not made by a Pakistani on an Indian issue!! Pakistanis hardly even read what the Indian media publishing on Indian international affairs. It is Indians who spend more time nosing around every news that concerns Pakistan than vise versa. You can now restate yourself for who needs to mind their own business??
Who gave Pashtoons in Pakistan the right to interfere in Pashtoon lands in Afghanistan? How about common religion, race, blood, language, culture, heritage, and history.
The same reason why Pakistanis have every right to be involved in the affairs of Indian occupied Muslim Kashmir.
No matter how hard the Afghans and Indians try, Pashtoons will always be united. Most of us love Pakistan as the majority of us are Pakistanis.
Pakis should mimd their own problems
Summons doesn’t help any one cause we summon the diplomats and unfortunately they have no control over the matter cause the state is run by military not the civil government of pakistani and at the moment half of pakistan population believes that their election was not a fair one.
What we can do is help Mullah Fazlula and the like of him who are against punjabi run state, strengthen their position and get him to issue a similar statement that is when these pakistanis will realise what they need to do.
@UK:
Oh, in that case you wouldn't mind USA interfering in Pakistani affairs, since they are a) more powerful than Pakistan, b) Pakistan is depending on US Aid, c) its largest export is to the United states.
Pakistan has to realize that US were mightier than Pakistan once, they still are. Might is Right, isn't it?
Also, extending your own logic, India had every right to interfere in Bangladesh in 1971 since all Pakistani flights had to pass through India and all rivers which Pakistan relies on originate in India. Muslims were powerful once,but Pakistan has to resign that its not the case anymore. India is more mightier and hence, Right. :)
This is funny. The Pakistan government can't control the Taliban on its side of the border how can it control what they do in Afghanistan?
@UK: The best way to make Pakistan see sense is to make sure it experiences the same peace or war that it dishes out to its neighbours. The moment that is adopted as a policy by Pakistan's neighbours and acted upon, entire region will become peaceful.
@UK: Afghans have always ruled over Pakistan.
@Tony Singh:
Afghani actions gave Pakistan the right, by trying to destabilize Pakistan for about first half of its existence. In the later half Pakistan became more powerful as well as (overly)paranoid, based on past experience.
Plus Afghanistan's heavy reliance on Pakistan for most of its imports, and presence of millions of Afghan nationals gives Pakistan a great stake in a Afghanistan.
Personally I think its is time to let go grievances of past on both sides, and start fresh. But, might is right is an unfortunate reality of this world. Afghans were mightier in the past, now it is Pakistan.
But who gave the right to Pakistanis to poke their nose in Afganistan's affair?
This game of Good Taliban - Bad Taliban played by your (Pakistani) Establishment will ultimately lead to the demise of your nation !!!
So what Afghan Authorities have to say about Mullah Fazaullah who openly calls for murder in Pakistan while sitting in Afghanistan?. Also the statement of Punjabi taliban is handpicked by our media for their own designs since they stated that they will fight against Foreign occupation only and not against the ordinary Afghans but it is not mentioned anywhere.