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Activities of insurgent elements and their leaders in Pakistani territory clearly violate Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, posing a serious challenge to achieving sustainable peace, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs
AT News
KABUL: The government of Afghanistan has expressed its deepest regret and concern that some Taliban leaders were see in the videos visiting training camps in Pakistan, saying the presence of militants in Pakistan cause crisis and instability in the region.
Over the past week, two sets of news stories about Afghanistan have emerged from Pakistan, one being a source of hope for the Government and people of Afghanistan and the other a cause of great concern, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.
The visit of Taliban representatives to Pakistan and their negotiations with Pakistani officials raised further hopes for taking practical steps toward stopping the bloodshed and bringing about sustainable peace in Afghanistan, according to the statement. The leadership of the Government of Pakistan assured the Government of Afghanistan that it would employ all available means and potentials towards reducing violence, establishing a ceasefire, and paving the ground for a peaceful resolution of the Afghan crisis. To that end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan expressed its gratitude and appreciation for the Pakistani Government’s recent efforts to advance the [Afghan] peace process.
However, following the Taliban leaders’ meetings with Pakistani officials, a series of video footages emerged in which the Taliban appeared among their followers, disclosing the existence of all Taliban leaders in Pakistan and acknowledging their continued activities in Pakistani territory, the statement added. “It is with deepest regret and concern that some Taliban leaders were seen in the videos visiting training camps.”
“The overt presence and activities of Afghan insurgent elements and their leaders in Pakistani territory clearly violate Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and continue to cause crisis and instability in the region, posing a serious challenge to achieving sustainable peace in Afghanistan. We urge the Pakistani Government not to allow its territory to be used by insurgents and elements who insist on continuing the war and bloodshed,” the statement added.
The Government of Afghanistan considers the closure of insurgent and terrorist sanctuaries and the cessation of their activities vital for the peaceful resolution of the Afghan crisis and ensuring regional peace and stability, the statement added.
Afghanistan calls once again for the continuation of sincere cooperation and genuine fight against terrorism and common threats.
This is as recently Mullah Baradar, Taliban chief negotiator during his stay in Pakistan visited Taliban fighters in Karch city of Pakistan and also training camps. Recently, First Vice President Amrullah Saleh in a tweet said, “Mullah Bradar did three things in Karachi. He visited the wounded Taliban terrorists at a government hospital who are there without any visa, went to a training facility to inspire the terror cadets and thanked the government of Pakistan for generous support to the Taliban to this point.”
He also said that, “Unclaimed bombings and targeted assassination of civil society activists are 2/11 pillars of Taliban terror campaign linked to their negotiations strategy. They want to break the political will of the Afghan people and demand impossible concessions. Call it what it is. Ambiguity won’t help.”
