Rabbani assassination inquiry: Afghan panel to visit Pakistan in a ‘few days’
Afghanistan’s top diplomat in Pakistan says that members of a commission investigating last month’s assassination of the chief Afghan peace negotiator will visit Islamabad within a ‘few days’ to seek Pakistan help in investigations.
Afghan government officials, including the interior minister, have blamed Pakistan’s top military spy agency for plotting the killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani, the head of the Afghan High Peace Council, which was tasked to make peace with the Taliban.
Rabbani was killed by a turban bomber at his residence in the upscale Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood of Kabul on September 20. The Taliban had immediately claimed responsibility for the killing, only to disown it a day later.
“There were some ‘technical problems’ which have been addressed. And now a team of the Afghan inquiry commission will reach Islamabad within a few days,” Afghan Ambassador Omar Daudzai told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview. However, he did not specify the ‘technical problems.’
Headed by Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak, the Afghan inquiry commission includes the interior minister, heads of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and National Security Council and the country’s attorney-general.
NDS spokesperson Lutfullah Mashal had told The Express Tribune in an earlier interview that they had handed Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul ‘evidence’ indicating that Pakistan-based Quetta Shura was behind Rabbani’s killing. Afghan officials, then, claimed that the Pakistani mission had refused to cooperate with them.
But Islamabad said that the so-called ‘evidence’ was based on a confessional statement of a man in Afghan custody whom they call the ‘mastermind.’
Ambassador Daudzai admitted that there was some ‘misunderstanding’ between the Afghan officials and Pakistan’s embassy, which has been removed. “Pakistani officials have personally assured me that they will extend every possible help in investigating Rabbani’s killing,” he added. “They have also agreed to discuss all aspects of the incident with the Afghan inquiry commission.”
Ambassador Daudzai quashed the impression that relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have broken down following the killing of Rabbani. “Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhelwal will arrive in Islamabad on October 12 to attend the Pak-Afghan Joint Economic Commission meeting,” he added.
He also confirmed his meeting with Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani but tried to play it down. “It was a routine meeting which takes place occasionally,” he said.
Ambassador Daudzai, who is close to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will brief senior Afghan leaders about his talks with the Pakistani officials.
Sources said that Pakistan has conveyed to the Afghan ambassador, though not officially, its concerns over the Indo-Afghan strategic partnership’ agreement which was signed during President Karzai’s recent trip to India.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.
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@Raj: According to USA own experts that American drones are illegal and doing innocent people assessinations including women and childrens. UN mandate is only limited to Afghanistan. They do not have mandate to use drones inside Pakistan Territory. So they are 100% Illegal.
Indian can be happy for 1 or 2 years then they will burn their own fingers with Afghan conflict.
@rkfrom USA: Pakistan backed and supported Rubbani Peace process from the first day. We beleive that Indian Spy agency Raw and CIA Proxies Warlords who never watned to any peace talk actually killed Rubanni.
As Rubbani wanted to have peace talk with Taliban and other groups and then they could ask Foreign forces to leave the country. India did not want Foreign forces to leave Afghanistan, so they can do whatever they want. Afghan Intelligent Agencies are taking feed from the Raw and Mossad regarding this murder and who are clearly enemy of Pakistan and trying to put all blame on Pakistan ISI. Even American President clearly said that we do not have any evidence that ISI have any connections with Haqaani Network. CIA also have connections with Haqqani Network as it is very imortant to have connections with opposition for every spy agency to make sure they know what those groups will be planning.
India and American Army is only beneficiery with Rubbanis Murder. American govt. is planning to cut down their defence budget but Military is not let them do that.
Now American has lost this war already as now Now only Taliban as well as Afghans became tired of foreign forces and are fighting against them.
if it is clear that pak was involved in rabbani killing, the pak govt will say "it was non state actors". Its no use.
Only Indians and morons believes that Pakistan was behind the attack.
Now this is getting interesting. Remember Rafik Hariri assassination. ISI cannot get away by using its drones (talibans) like CIA as CIA has UN mandate to hunt talibans and also an agreement with Pakistan to use their drones inside Pakistan whereas ISI lacks such mandate and agreement. Let us see how the Chinese play this game. They have their mineral interests in Afghanistan and probably minimal interest now in Pakistan.
Even if the inquiry panel comes to the conclusion that the Pakistan ISI was involved in the assasination plan we feel that no stern action could be taken up by the Afghan Government against the Pakistan Government without the help of the US Government. The Indian Government may not be able to help the Afghan Government to take up any action against the Pakistan Government.
what misunderstanding....now are u coming to your senses Mr.Daud...or rhetoric was only to impress India before Karzai visit?