No intention to destabilise Pakistan, says Abdullah

Acknowledges that TTP has safe havens on Afghan soil; Hamid Karzai says ready to play a role to heal the rift

KABUL: Days after the ‘unprovoked’ firing by Afghan security forces killed around a dozen Pakistanis in the border town of Chaman, Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah said his country has neither the capacity nor the intention to destabilise Pakistan.

“Anyone inflicting harm to Pakistan will be inflicting harm to Afghanistan,” Dr Abdullah said on Monday while speaking to a delegation of Pakistani journalists.

The chief executive denied that he ever issued any instructions that might go against interests of Pakistan. “No one can play a better role than Pakistan for reconciliation process in Afghanistan,” he added.



He said Operation Zarb-e-Azb was a commendable initiative. However, he expressed dissatisfaction over the state of mutual relations of the two neighbouring countries.

Dr Abdullah said Afghanistan considered the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) a terrorist organisation and was aware of its presence in the war-torn country.

“Taliban are our enemies. We have no sympathy for them. We also do not extend any cooperation to them. They should be pressured to come to the negotiating table rather than giving any concessions,” he said.



However, he said, Afghanistan was facing bigger issues than the TTP. “Security in the country is a bigger challenge in Afghanistan,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai said he was ready to play a role to create understanding between the two countries which, he said, are like twin brothers.

“The two countries are the closest nations of the world and twin brothers. Afghan people want good relations with Pakistan. I have a lot of love for Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta,” he said, adding that he would visit Pakistan after Ramazan.



Karzai said Afghanistan could not improve relations with India at the cost of Pakistan. “No one, including India, is allowed to use Afghan land against any other country,” he said.

He said his country will always remain thankful to Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees.

The former presidency said Middle Eastern terror outfit Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym Da’ish, was increasing its foothold in Afghanistan and was a common threat for both the countries.

He alleged that the US was helping Da’ish and said the two countries needed to improve their relations without blaming each other.