Haqqanis say US listing them as terrorist will hurt Afghan peace

Haqqani network senior commander says the designation will bring hardships for US serviceman in their custody.

ISLAMABAD: The United States' decision to designate the Haqqani network as a terrorist organisation shows it is not sincere about peace efforts in Afghanistan, senior commanders of the group said on Friday.

The move will also bring hardship for US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who is being held by the militants, the commanders told Reuters.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the Pakistan-linked Haqqani network, blamed for a series of attacks in Afghanistan, met the criteria to be designated a terrorist group.

Despite concerns over the impact such a move on the tense US ties with Islamabad, Clinton said in a statement she had "notified Congress of my intent to designate the Haqqani Network" as a foreign terrorist organization. US President Barack Obama had signed a bill into law last month which gave the Secretary of State 30 days to certify whether the group met the criteria to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC released a statement, saying the designation was “an internal matter for the United States. It is not our business. The Haqqanis are not Pakistani nationals. We will continue to work with all international partners including the US in combating extremism and terrorism."