Kabul set to launch efforts to ‘isolate’ Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Kabul intends to launch a concerted diplomatic campaign to isolate Pakistan in the international arena as well as in the region, a spokesperson for the Afghan president said on Saturday.

“Pakistan still supports groups involved in fighting in Afghanistan,” Dawa Khan Meenpal, deputy spokesperson for President Ashraf Ghani told the media in Kabul.



The comments came in reaction to the April 19 attack in which 64 people were killed.

The spokesperson alleged that the deadliest attack yet in Kabul was “planned by the Haqqani network in Pakistan.”

“Afghanistan is reviewing its policy on Pakistan,” he said, according to Radio Azadi.

“Pakistan is in the state of isolation. We want to use diplomatic initiative to isolate Pakistan at regional and international levels and to tell the world community where terrorists are and which country and intelligence (agency) support them,” Meenapal said.

He said Kabul had always asked Pakistan to seriously fight terrorism, but “they have backed terrorist groups and facilitated them.”



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had condemned the “heinous” attack in a message to President Ashraf Ghani and called for “coordinated approach” to eliminate terrorism.

Meenpal said Pakistan had “always allowed its soil to be used by those who fight (against) the Afghan government.”

The spokesman for Pakistan’s foreign ministry’s did not respond to a text message when asked about the country’s response.

Afghan Taliban had claimed responsibility and said three bombers had taken part in the attack and that it was part of the group’s Spring Offensive.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2016.