No group has claimed responsibility for the attack at a volleyball match; however, the Afghan intelligence agency has blamed the Haqqani Network for the incident.
Nawaz Sharif called President Ashraf Ghani Monday evening and conveyed deep sympathy and condolences over the loss of human lives caused by a suicide terrorist attack in Paktika, the foreign ministry said.
The prime minister condemned the deplorable and cowardly act and conveyed Pakistan’s solidarity with the brotherly Afghan people, a foreign ministry’s statement said. The premier expressed the confidence that, through joint efforts, Pakistan and Afghanistan would succeed in rooting out terrorism.
The Afghan “Mesharano Jirga” or Senate on Tuesday debated the deadly blast and some members delivered speeches against Pakistan following the harsh remarks by Muslimyar, a leader of Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf’s group, Afghan media reported.
Muslimyar alleged that attacks like Paktika are being “carried out by Pakistan’s security agencies,” Pajhwok news agency reported.
Muslimyar, an ethnic Pashtoon from Nangarhar province, had served as a guard to Sayyaf’s commander Malang Yar during the revolt against the Soviets. He spent years as refugee in Pakistan during the period.
“Afghanistan must talk to the Pakistan army and its intelligence with the cooperation of the international community as silence on Pakistan would amount to a sin,” he remarked during the Senate session.
Muslimyar’s comments could affect the efforts of the two countries who are trying to bury the hatchet of 13 years of tensions and mistrust and start a new era.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2014.
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