Kabul summons Pakistani envoy over Punjabi Taliban’s threat

Group vows to continue operations in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan on Monday summoned a senior Pakistani diplomat over remarks by the Punjabi Taliban that while his group has decided to renounce violence in Pakistan it would continue its operations in Afghanistan, the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

“Pakistani Charge d’Affaires Syed Muazzam Shah was summoned to the foreign ministry Sunday evening and a strong protest was lodged over the declaration of war by the Punjabi Taliban on the Afghan side of the Durand Line,” a ministry statement said.

Punjabi Taliban leader Asmatullah Muaweya said in a video message over the weekend that the group will continue preaching in Pakistan.

Head of Political Affairs in the Afghan foreign ministry Abdul Samad Samad condemned the threats made by Muaweya and described his remarks as “clear conspiracies against the stability and security of Afghanistan”.

“Such statements are against international laws and the principles of good neighbourly relations,” the statement quoted the Afghan official as saying to the Pakistani envoy. The Afghan official alleged that Pakistani security agencies and Afghanistan have been suffering from terrorist groups which are “funded, equipped and trained by Pakistani intelligence agencies”.

“In recent terrorist attacks launched in various parts of our country, a large number of Pakistani terrorists have been killed and arrested.”

Samad said the use of terrorism as a political tool is not in the interest of any nation, adding that the announcement by the Punjabi Taliban leader could increase the “killing of innocent people in Afghanistan”. The Pakistani charge d’Affaires promised to convey the concerns of the Afghan government to Pakistani officials, the Afghan foreign ministry said. Spokesperson for the Pakistan foreign ministry did not respond to queries regarding a reaction to Kabul’s allegations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2014.