Attack on Abdullah Abdullah: Pakistan rejects charges levelled by Afghanistan

Foreign office says Kabul is quick in shifting the blame to others for its own security failures.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Monday strongly refuted allegations that its security agencies might be behind the recent attack on Afghan Presidential candidate Dr Abdullah Abdullah’s convoy.

“We firmly reject any insinuation of Pakistan’s involvement in the attack on Presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah’s convoy and allegations of seeking to disrupt elections in Afghanistan,” foreign ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said in a statement here on Monday.

Last week, Abdullah survived an assassination attempt when two blasts targeted his campaign motorcade in Kabul ahead of the hotly contested run-off election.

“Initial investigations indicate foreign intelligence services were involved in this incident through Lashkar-e-Taiba in an organised manner, and the terrorists were aiming to disrupt the election in Afghanistan,” Afghanistan’s National Security Council, which is chaired by President Hamid Karzai, said in a statement.

Voicing Pakistan’s disappointment, Tasnim said, “These allegations serve to vitiate the positive environment created between the two countries through constructive efforts over the past many months.”

Unfortunately, these allegations fall in the familiar pattern of certain elements in Afghanistan sparing no occasion to malign Pakistan and its security institutions and shifting the blame to others for their own security failures, she added.



“We are sure that neither the Afghan people, nor the international community, would be misled by these motivated allegations,” the foreign ministry spokesperson said.

As we have clearly stated before, Pakistan’s interests are not served by a “disruption” of Afghan elections.

On the other hand, a peaceful election and smooth democratic transition would advance our interest in having a stable Afghanistan.

“Accordingly, we remain committed to supporting all efforts for a free and peaceful election, including through enhanced security along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.”

Separately, Pakistan also summoned the Afghan Ambassador to protest against the recent cross border raids by terrorists.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2014.