‘No intention to harm Pakistan’, Afghan PM tells Fazl

Contrary to official Pakistani stance, JUI-F chief raises concerns over Islamabad’s move to deport illegal Afghans

ISLAMABAD:

The prime minister of the interim Afghan government, Mullah Hassan Akhund, reassured on Monday that Kabul has no intention of harming neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. This statement came as he met with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F), in the Afghan capital, Kabul, amid escalating tensions between the two nations.

Fazl is leading a 9-member delegation on a visit to Kabul at the invitation of the Afghan Taliban government. During his meeting with Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, the discussions addressed the strained relations exacerbated by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad claims operates from Afghan soil, posing a continuous security threat.

تصاویر: جے یو آئی سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی وفد کے ہمراہ امارت اسلامیہ افغانستان کے وزیراعظم ملا محمد حسن اخوند سے ملاقات
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— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) January 8, 2024

While Fazl's visit aimed at alleviating misunderstandings between the two countries, a terrorist attack in Bajaur district on the same day, claimed by the banned TTP, cast a shadow on prospects for diplomatic breakthroughs.

Ahead of his trip to Kabul, the JUI-F chief said he was going there with an aim to remove misunderstandings between the two countries. He received a briefing from the foreign office before departing for the Afghan capital. He was seated next to Pakistan’s Chargé d'Affaires in the plane on his way to Kabul, suggesting the visit might be private but had the backing of the government.

Nevertheless, some of the remarks made by the JUI-F chief during his meeting with the Afghan interim prime minister might not be taken well by the authorities in Pakistan. Contrary to the official Pakistani stance, Fazl raised concerns over Islamabad’s move to deport illegal Afghans.

Also read: Kabul upbeat as Fazl meets Taliban officials

When the Afghan prime minister termed Pakistan’s policy of evicting Afghan nationals as “cruel”, the JUI-F chief said he did oppose the decision.

A statement issued by the JUI-F spokesperson here said Fazl voiced concerns over the “attitude of the rulers of Pakistan towards the Afghan refugees”. “We consider this kind of behaviour wrong and a cause of problems between the two countries,” he was quoted as saying.

تصاویر: جے یو آئی سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی وفد کے ہمراہ امارت اسلامیہ افغانستان کے وزیراعظم ملا محمد حسن اخوند سے ملاقات
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— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) January 8, 2024

Pakistan in October decided to deport all undocumented Afghans. They were given an October 31 deadline to leave voluntarily and after that a crackdown was launched. Since then tens of thousands of Afghans either left Pakistan or were forced to exit.

Pakistan defended the policy, saying such illegal Afghans could not be allowed to live in the country.

At the heart of deteriorating ties between the two countries is the inaction of the Afghan Taliban against the TTP and its affiliates.

There was no explicit mention of the TTP in the statements issued by both the JUI-F and the Taliban government but the interim Afghan prime minister did say his country had no intention to undermine Pakistan or any other country.

However, Pakistan is far from convinced with these verbal assurances as it has been seeking ‘verifiable’ action against the TTP.

Akhund during today’s meeting stressed the role of religious scholars from both sides to resolve the issue and remove misunderstandings.

Read: TTP aimed to control former FATA: official

Meanwhile, Fazl congratulated the Afghan Taliban for their ‘victory against the foreign occupation’. He backed the Afghan Taliban and said the “Islamic system” would bring stability to the neighbouring country.

تصاویر: جے یو آئی سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی وفد کے ہمراہ امارت اسلامیہ افغانستان کے وزیراعظم ملا محمد حسن اخوند سے ملاقات
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— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) January 8, 2024

“We have brought a message of goodwill here and hope that this trip will yield positive results,” Fazl said. “We hope that the visit will lead to the strengthening of brotherhood and positive relations between the two neighbouring countries and brotherly people,” he added.

The JUI-F statement said it was emphasised in the meeting that the two countries should jointly find ways to solve all the problems and should avoid such steps that would create more problems.

تصاویر: جے یو آئی سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی وفد کے ہمراہ امارت اسلامیہ افغانستان کے وزیراعظم ملا محمد حسن اخوند سے ملاقات
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— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) January 8, 2024

During the meeting, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Muttaqi said that commercial or economic transactions between the two countries should not suffer due to political problems.