ISLAMABAD:
Afghanistan has claimed that Pakistan’s operation in the tribal region of North Waziristan is unacceptable as no action has been taken against the Haqqani Network.
Pakistan launched the long-awaited military offensive on June 15 against local and foreign militants. The army claims that all ‘terrorists groups’, including the Haqqani Network, are the prime targets.
However, the Afghan foreign ministry’s spokesman Ahmed Shakib Mustaghni is entirely unconvinced by Pakistan’s commitment to eradicate militancy.
Speaking at his weekly press briefing in Kabul, he billed the ongoing military offensive as unacceptable to the Afghan government.
“The operation is only against the Pakistani Taliban and specific action has not been taken to suppress the Haqqani Network,” he said.
The Afghan government has blamed the Haqqani Network for last week’s deadly car bomb attack in the eastern Paktika province that had killed over 80 civilians. Afghan Taliban denied involvement and blamed the Afghan intelligence for attacks in public places.
Mustaghni’s remarks came shortly after adviser to the prime minister on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz told US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins that Pakistan is taking action against all militants.
“The adviser highlighted Pakistan’s monumental effort to address the threat of terrorism and underscored that the military operation was addressing this menace without any discrimination or distinction,” a foreign ministry statement cited Aziz as saying to Dobbins.
Mustaghni pointed fingers at Pakistani security agencies when a journalist asked who was to blame for last week’s car suicide bomb attack.
“Our security agencies have evidence that Pakistani security agencies are involved in the recent wave of terrorism in the country,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Mustaghni said the Haqqani Network received support from Pakistani intelligence agencies in carrying out the Paktika attack.
He added that the Afghan government raised the issue with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. The international community and special representatives were engaged through a trilateral mechanism.
However, these efforts have not produced any results and the security situation has worsened, Mustaghni said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not comment on the Afghan Foreign Ministry’s criticism. However, she simply reiterated that the operation is against all terrorists.
“Afghanistan should adopt measures on their side of the international border to ensure terrorists do not have sanctuaries on Afghan soil,” she said.
Kabul has levelled allegations at a time when Pakistan is seeking support from the Afghan security forces to boost security along the border to prevent fleeing militants from entering Afghanistan.
On Thursday, the US commander of Nato-led forces in Afghanistan General Joseph Dunford told lawmakers that he has reservations about the effectiveness of the army operation in North Waziristan.
“From the best that we can tell, the operation has had some success against the Pakistani Taliban and the IMU (Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan),” he said.
The US commander added that the military offensive has not had the desired effect on the Haqqani Network and other outfits that ought to be suppressed. All it has done was disrupt the Haqqani Network by forcing them to vacate their sanctuaries in Miramshah.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (57)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Pakistan is a pariah state and not capable of honest friendly relations. No one cares what comes out of your foreign office. Soon they won't care what your generals proclaim as well.
@Usman: The only thing indigenous in Pakistan is ignorance like yours. Indian missiles are Indian. Pakistan's are repainted North Korean missiles named after local barbarians.
@Imtiaz Gul: Nobody wants or cares about Afghanistan anymore. Kabul is only impressed by their Indian owners so it is back to the status quo!
So, the proxy war is still on in afghanistan..... Leave US and let India and Pakistan fight it for last time in afghanistan.
Pakistan should start preparing as more refugess are coming from afghanistan in coming years.
@Afghan Maihan: Talk is cheap. Changing neighbors is one thing but ask yourself why millions of Afghanis prefer to stay in Pakistan than return to Afghanistan or even go to their masters in India? If you change neighbors, where would Afghanis go as refugees? The West doesn't want any more refugees from Afghanistan who they see as a burden on their economies. You forget that Pakistani Pashtun outnumber Afghan Pashtun three fold; We not only support the military action but large numbers of Pashtun troops are involved in rooting out foreign paid actors and anti state criminals.
@Usman: Indeed. Its an indigenous industry of painting Chinese junk green in Pakistan. Well first of all, why don't you guys make locomotives for your trains?
@ Aalia
Afghans also desperately want to change their neighbors. It's a pity that Pakistan cannot live peacefully with its neighbors. Killing Pashtuns on both sides of the border and displacing them is only going to exacerbate matters more.
US and USSR failed in their war against the Taliban. What makes Pakistan think it even has a remote chance? Common sense tells us that there is a hidden truce between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban.
@Realistic: They were Pashtun, we can name our missiles what we want, whether we rain them on Kabul or New Delhi. See, its called an indigenous defence industry, not a junkyard of Russian hardware (India) or a Junkyard (Afghanistan).
@Zog: After all they are your brothers and it is your duty to help them or only Kashmiri Muslims are your brothers why this duplicacy.
@Had enough: Don't think any thing else spew venom against India.
@DON: Kashmiri Muslims are your brothers and Afgani Muslims are your enemies why this double standard are they bad Muslims and Kashmiris are good Muslims, this is the month of Holy Ramzan and don't tell lies, your only goal is to spew venom against India lage raho
@Hums: Why don't you supply a script after all Afganistan is your brethren Muslim country, I pity on your thought you can not though any thing else, for all your problems only India is responsible why so much hate even after 67 years.
@A-No.1: Try that and you have lost FATA and part of KPK
@Usman Khan:
You are dead on. The Pakistani military establishment indeed has moved the Haqqanis and other "good" Taliban to safe places. The great strategic depth paradigm of the Establishment is still very much alive.
@Zaida P: Muslims will always be persona tha greata weather you like it or not.
@unbelievable: CIA, ISAF, RAW and RAMA know every location of TTP/BLA/BRA also.
When will they act to stop cross border terror directed against Pakistan.
Also, Afghanistan is not Pakistan's responsibility. The 3m Afghan refugees and illegal aliens should all be repatriated to Afghanistan - can US, India, NATO, Afghan Govt (LOL, Indian puppets) deal with that?
USAID had given $100bn to Afghanistan - where has that gone? Why was it not used to give these 3m Afghans homes, shelter, employment...??????
Why are these Afghans still in Pakistan and illegally obtaining Pakistani nationality and ID cards ?
Can we change our neighbours, please?
If Pakistan does not take care of Haqqanis and other anti-Afghan groups, Afghanistan will surely reciprocate by helping TTP and other anti-Pakistan groups.And the violence on both sides will continue.Since Pakistan has interfered continuously in Afghan affairs and harbored anti-Afghan groups for decades, Afghanistan is going to be more suspicious,and cautious.The onus will be on Pakistan to convince Afghanistan that they really mean what they say.Only real co-operation between both countries will ensure long-term peace.
It seems that the Haqqanis have been moved to the IDP camp in Shawa Tehsil area. They have been told to sit tight by the army but they are no more capable of launching attacks in Afghanistan as their communication with other command centers has been disconnected. According to BBC, they are providing intel on the bad Taliban such as Adnan Rasheed that have been captured last week. The Pakistani Taliban that ran away in Afghanistan are being used as cannon fodder by the Afghan Taliban for audacious attacks on the airport etc.
The Pakistani position is to save the Haqqanis till the situation in Afghanistan clears up and a clear contender to Karzai emerges. In that way, they will do a deal with the incumbent to either cull the Taliban or to let them settle in Western Afghanistan where they will have a stake in power with the local govt. This is a solution that will prevent the afghan army from collapsing when the Americans leave. Lets see how the strategy plays out.
The other networks such as the Khan Said Sajna and the Taliban Shura in Quetta are sitting pretty and waiting for the Americans to leave.
At least someone has finally said the obvious. After 12 years Pakistan knows the location of every major Haqqani installation - and should have been obvious targets on the first day of the offensive. Duplitious behavior has become the norm - no wonder your neighbors don't trust you.
@mashael: Has Afghanistan ever listened to Pakistan. They have been listening and taking orders from India for a long time. That will never change. Yes truth is bitter. Who cares what these Indian toadies in Afghanistan say.
Do Pakistan need's to impress Kabul ?
"can WE please repatriate illegal afgan refuges" is wat everyone's saying..
WE who? Pakistani pashtuns don't seem to feel that way.. Durant line is irrelevant on both sides not jus afgan..
@Naveed Alam Khattak: I think you are denying that fact that you people write Afghan in your national ID card and if somebody search your root, it will have link with Afghanistan.
@Sk:
You sure are a joker.
Kabul can barely mount a two man operation but they remain unimpressed by anything anyone does. Kabul is big on words. short on action.
@tata!: Why don't you people host these kind people in your country?
A sigh of relief... Lets focus on what we are doing and please do not create new anti stat actors. We have enough.
'Kabul unimpressed....'; hilarious
Chase a few Haqqani foot soldiers and collect aid money from the US.
Afghans seem to be quite ungrateful. Send back all Afghans residing in Pakistan and let India feed them in Afghanistan. Deny transit routes and see their tone change within days.
@Hums: so you think Afghan government is now listening to India and not Pakistan. Wondering what we have done that Afghans do not listen to us anymore. hmmmm...How about destroying their nation by spreading false ideology of Jihad. lack of Afghan government's and in fact whole world's mistrust in Pakistan is our own doing. Have we done anything to earn their trust? We are leaving under an illusion of supremacy while we are clearly the most lacking in all aspects of humanity. Feel sad to write this but truth is always bitter.
Afghans should not try to punch above their weight.
@Ahmad: Afghan people are suffering as their leaders are corrupt and basically warlords on the pay roll of foreign powers. Not because of Pakistan.
I once saw a Pakistani being rude to an illegal Afghan street vendor in Pakistan, and 99% of the Pakistanis there stood up for the Afghan and defended him as a human and a guest in our country.
One day Afghans will realise they were manipulated by Indian intelligence and their warlords to hate a country that has always stood by them. Once India has no more use for you, you will realise who your real friends and enemies are.
Kabul is no joke.
@Hums Countries of muslim ummah dont listen nor take advice from non muslim countries on foreign policy. Think 10 times before speaking against india.
Dont underestimate the people of afghanistan.
This operation is not being done to appease american's or afghan's . It is solely done from Pakistani perspective n view !
The truth is always bitter, foreign affairs spokesmen in Pakistan mostly have to read the script given to them, even if it states that the Sun rises from the west.
@Hums: If thats the truth as u claim . ever wondered what has Pakistan done that the Afghan hate you so much now. After all you have helped them against the USSR. Trying to make some country your back yard, supporting Taliban the killer of many Afghans was never a good idea. Dont ignore the folly of your strategic depth concept
@Jibran: I don't trust anything Pakistan these Uzbeks could very well be innocent civilians.
It is a good ply to link every Afghan Govt statement to India. What else can Pakistani listen to. Haqnis have moved to South Waziristan to avoid the operation. Simple. It is 40 years of investet.
We no more need Afghans in our soil. send them back immediately.
For Gods sake I am tired of listening to these useless Afghan minsters of all sorts. Leaders of Pakistan I request you please send back all afghans and refugees back to there country at once and seal of the border with them they are nothing but trouble.
Only solution to afghan Problem is that they will implode that is there tendency. and let indians waste there money on them in the end they will get nothing and yet another war will happen in afghanistan.
We already have enough problems to fix of our own. They are not brotherly in anyway to us so why not let them have the taste of there own medicine.
Surely they will be "unimpressed" after seeing theirs and Indian proxies getting hammered in N.W.
@Had enough: Muslims are persona non-grata now?
It's true Pakistan never wants to finish Taliban because the use them in Afghanistan it's only show to the USA that the have done the operation it's not acceptable for Afghanistan why the didn't fight with afghani Taliban Pakistan always cheat with Afghanistan people wish Pakistan people suffer about the Taliban tell realise what's happening in afghani people
they will never be happy, the only country which opposed Pakistan in 1948 in UN'
@Had enough: @Hums: Afghanistan is one country that is never to be under estimated...we hate Afghanistan and Afghans and yet Ghauri, Gaznavi, Abdali, Sher Shah Suri are our history book heroes who are all Afghans.
The Afghans should make efforts to prevent infiltration of terrorists to Pakistan from Afghanistan's side of the border.
Operation Zarb-e-Azb: Can it ensure stability in Afghanistan-Pakistan region? http://www.caps.af/detail.asp?Lang=e&Cat=3&ContID=15533
Afghanis are our brothers (India). And they are very nice and good hearted people.
Lurking suspicions are unfortunately coming true. It was suspected that these operations were undertaken due to Chinese pressure and to strengthen the pro Pakistan terror groups. Aim is to eliminate the terror groups troubling China and at the same time destroy Pakistan unfriendly terror groups. All the terror groups, including Haqqani net work, that are considered strategic assets have been evacuated to safety mingled with displaced people. These are not allegations not only by the Afghan intelligence but are being squarely confirmed by the US commander of Nato-led forces in Afghanistan General Joseph Dunford. This move is only going to destroy any chances of peace in the area and is bringing misery and death to the innocent civilians being crushed.
Can we please repatriate all afghan refugees and illegally residing Afghan national so there can be no grounds for these allegations.
The Afghans will one day realise that Indian propaganda used by Karzai and the Northen Alliance is just a cover for the corruption and continued war lordism in that country.
Seems to be true. All previous ISPR news releases have been reporting Uzbek causalities in every single assault. Either it was lying then, or lying now.
Reading the script provided to them by the Indians.