Afghan president telephones PM Nawaz, condemns Badhaber attack

Ashraf Ghani says Afghanistan will never allow its land to be used against Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday evening and condemned the recent terrorist attack on a PAF base near Peshawar.

According to a statement, Ghani extended his "heartfelt condolence on the demise of civil and military personnel in the incident".

He also reiterated the resolve that Afghanistan will never allow its land to be used by anyone against Pakistan.

Read: Pakistan to go 'soft' on Afghanistan over PAF attack

A dozen armed men stormed a PAF camp in Badhaber on Friday, killing 29 people including a captain of Pakistan Army and officials of PAF.

A day after the attack, Afghan presidency had strongly rejected Pakistan Army’s claim that the air base attack was “planned and controlled” from Afghanistan.

“We vehemently reject baseless claims that the attack in Peshawar was planned or controlled from Afghanistan,” the president’s deputy spokesperson Sayed Zafar Hashimi had said, according to Pajhwok Afghan News.

Read: At least 29 killed, including army captain, as militants attack PAF base in Peshawar

Earlier during the day, Pakistan decided against lodging a strong protest with Afghanistan over the attack, sources said.

“Due to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s weak writ, Pakistan’s protest with Afghanistan on Badhaber attack will be more harmful than beneficial,” said a source who had attended a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad.