Just hours before, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged to forge improved relations with Afghanistan and congratulated President Karzai and the people of Afghanistan on their country’s 95th Independence Day.
However, Karzai blamed Pakistan of interfering in Afghanistan’s internal matters during his speech at the Ministry of Defence in Kabul.
“I want to tell Pakistanis to desist from harming our country,” Radio Azadi quoted Karzai as telling the participants of the ceremony. The ceremony was attended by government officials including presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.
Senior Afghan officials have stepped up criticism at Pakistan in the last days of President Karzai.
The Afghan foreign ministry on Monday claimed that Pakistan is “creating a militia” to disrupt peace in the country.
The foreign ministry spokesman Ahmad Shakib Mustaghni said that Afghan security agencies have collected information that Pakistan is “spending money” to prepare a militia.
“Pakistan plans to send the militia to Afghanistan,” Mustaghni told his weekly briefing in Kabul.
Pakistan has not commented on the latest Afghan allegations but the foreign ministry has previously dismissed all such accusations as baseless.
“The security forces are ready to defend the country’s frontiers and sovereignty,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
He said Afghanistan is involved in diplomatic efforts to find out solution to the problems along the border and cross-border rocket fire.
“If these efforts could not produce results and Pakistan continued its movement, then we have other options to use,” he said without elaborating.
Mutaghni comments came a day after Afghan National Security Council accused Pakistan of “providing weapons and money to its paramilitary forces to target Afghans on this side of the Durand Line from tribal belt.”
A plenary session of the NSC was presided over by President Hamid Karzai and the security officials briefed participants of the meeting on current situation of Afghanistan, a statement from Karzai’s office has said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his message of felicitation had greeted Karzai and the people of Afghanistan on their Independence Day.
“On behalf of the government and people of Pakistan, I wish to convey our warmest felicitations to you and the brotherly Afghan people,” Nawaz Sharif said in a message to Karzai.
The message said the neighbours were bound by an abiding relationship based on a common faith, cultural affinities and a shared history.
“The indissoluble bonds are further reinforced by the neighbours’ common aspirations for peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” the Prime Minister said.
“I have no doubt that, working together, we would continue to build a close and cooperative relationship between our two countries and promote an environment of enduring peace, progress and development,” he had said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th,2014.
COMMENTS (11)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@LOL
The three million Afghans are receiving aid from from UNHCR, remittances from family members in the West and they contribute to the economy of Pakistan. How is that a burden to Pakistan? On the contrary, it is a blessing to Pakistan. Hayatabad will turn into a ghost town and Peshawar's economy will be severely impacted by expelling said refugees. You are just regurgitating stale narratives propagated by ISPR.
Afghans always danced to their own tune called Atan. You wouldn't resort to petty name calling if Afghans danced to your tune. Because we are a brave and respectable people we are united against Pakistani proxies that are unpopular and anachronistic. If you call standing up to these dim witted madrasah graduates sponsored by Pakistan, dancing to Indian tunes, then your comprehension of geopolitics is lacking.
We prefer to have a relationship with your older and mature brother that has poured in $ 2 billion and counting in aid, while Pakistan sends Pashtuns to kill Pashtuns in the name of Islam. We are tired of this game and we will oppose this game by any means necessary.
By the way Indian tunes win Oscars and Grammys in the USA.
@Afghan:
Yes, and the 3 million afghans in Pakistan are a huge burden on us. But we have borne this as we felt it was our duty to help our neighbours in need.
One day you will realise that becoming an Indian poodle was your biggest mistake.
What a shame a brave and respectable people like the Afghans have been reduced to dancing to the Indian Govt's tune.
Making an additional militia to create problems for Afghans will be a great tragedy for Pashtuns on both side of Durand line. I am sure we Pashtun can come out alive of all this as we are still not dead as a nation and we are expecting a change. A Pashto poem says( La ho mer na yam pa tama da badloon yam). @Feroz it is Pashtun national tragedy spanning over 400 years that we cant unite. Khushal Khattak says that this old man Khushal will become young if Pashtun get united. I think this gonna change.
Having installed a proxy the Taliban into Afghanistan in the late 20th century and enjoyed the payback(50000 lives) from that effort in the 21st century, one would have guessed that the lunatics who crafted that strategy of "strategic death"(no sarcasm intended) would have learned a few lessons. While claiming to be a partner in the war on terror Pakistan sheltered not just OBL but also the Taliban and Haqqani terrorists. It seems that old habits die hard and there is not a care in the world at the price civilians in Pakistan or Afghanistan have paid with their lives. Those that dig graves for others to fall into have always been poor students of history. The world will relax and watch the fun with coke and popcorn, as the game plays out over the next five years. The Trailer has just played out, movie is starting shortly. The Afghans may look and play dumb, but to believe they cannot differentiate between friends and enemies, would be stretching credibility very thin. The Pashtuns are hurting from these diabolic policies that have reduced their homeland to wasteland and know who exactly is responsible. If they sink their differences and unite against the forces that divide, Church Bells may ring.
Give us some time pakistan and see what the future holds for you and me(afghanistan)
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: Jealous of Pakistan ? Jealous of the live drama in front of Parliament House ?. Jealous of the morning that may not know whether it is to be under a martial law or under civilian admin? Jealous of the way your airports get targetted on a periodic basis? Jealous of the "most mature and sensible " PM leadership that is now reduced to being a district collector or Dy.Commissioner as you call the post? If all our jealousy could be monetised , it would be as much as the chances of your sending a space craft from your soil in the next 50 years. Would Tribune care to publish this ?
Oh Pakistan how many problems you have created for world
Karzai is a used and tossed puppet of the US and India. I applaud Nawaz Sharif being the bigger leader in not issuing threats or rumors against Karzai. Karzai is like an old jealous lady like Modi. I think Pakistan has the most mature and sensible leadership in this region.
Afghanistan and India upset, because Pashtoons and Pakistan army are hunting and killing their agents and bombers in Pakistan.
Pak is huge burden to the entire world..
Hiding himself from all the corruptions, blaming Pakistan is the only scapegoat this Liar king has. I guess Karzai should concentrate more on rights of Afghanis then his own pockets. Worse Enemy of Afghanistan is currently corruption led by these stooges.
Belated Happy Independence Day to Afghanistan Brothers and Sisters.