ISLAMABAD – Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal has respondedback to the claims made by the Pakistan Foreign Office over the issue ofhanding over the Haqqani network and Taliban terrorists to Afghanistan byPakistan.
Afghan Ambassador has showed his total ignorance to any such activitybetween Pakistan and Afghanistan and hoped that such acts on part ofPakistan should be done in order to improve the bilateral relations andremove misunderstanding.
He has expressed his surprise after Pakistan’s Foreign Office claimed a dayearlier that the country had handed over 27 suspected terrorists to Afghanauthorities in November 2017.
On Tuesday, FO spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal had said that Pakistan hadhanded over individuals, who were suspected of belonging toTehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) and Haqqani Network (HN), toAfghanistan.
Zakhilwal, in a post on a social media platform, said it would be it wouldbe a huge step in the bilateral relationship between the two countries “ifthis indeed happens”.
Afghan authorities, on a regular basis, blame Pakistan after majorterrorist attacks in the country and accuse Pakistan of providing safehaven to terror networks operating inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan, in its defence, counters the allegations by stating that a largeportion of Afghan territory is outside of Kabul’s influence and control,providing adequate room to terror outfits to carry out their activities inboth countries.
Faisal had also said that Pakistan has continued to push any suspected TTAand HN elements to prevent them from using Pakistani soil for terroristactivity in Afghanistan.
Earlier in January, the United States announced that it was suspending thetransfer of military equipment and security-related funds to Pakistan.
The suspension of security assistance to Islamabad came after Washingtonaccused Pakistan of playing a “double game” on fighting terrorism andwarned Islamabad it would have to do more if it wanted to maintain US aid.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley had also confirmed thatWashington would withhold $255 million in assistance to Pakistan.
Haley’s statement followed an angry tweet from Trump that the US had beenrewarded with “nothing but lies and deceit” for giving Pakistan billions inaid.
In August, Trump concluded a months-long review of America’s strategy towin the brutal war in Afghanistan — now entering its 17th year — and calledfor an increase in the tempo and intensity of strikes against the Taliban.
The aim was to persuade some Taliban factions to enter talks with thegovernment in Kabul.
This month’s spate of bombings and Trump’s comments indicate that the endgame may be further away than the White House would like.