Kabul, Oct 17 (IANS) Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Russia, Gul Hassan Hassan, has described Pakistan as the “only threat” to Afghanistan’s security and the wider region.
Addressing a joint security conference of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Moscow, Hassan accused Islamabad of providing shelter to multiple terrorist groups, including ISIS (Daesh), Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported.
He further alleged that the groups were active inside Pakistan and that attempts had been made to move them into Afghanistan.
“We must state clearly that the threat to the security and stability of our region now comes from Pakistan. Pakistan not only shelters armed opponents of Afghanistan’s government, but has also provided fertile ground there for narcotics and for Daesh’s activities,” Hassan stated.
“This is not an empty allegation. You will also have followed reports on this in Pakistani and international media,” he added.
Hassan alleged that Pakistan had provided an environment for these groups to operate, recruit members and raise funds.
He further claimed that hundreds of armed fighters belonging to these terror groups had been brought through Chitral into Zebak district of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province on July 23, and, in a second attempt, into Kamdesh district of Nuristan province on September 25.
“During these attempts, Pakistani military forces not only directly led the groups concerned, but also carried out aerial bombardments of various Afghan provinces on both occasions,” said Hassan.
“At the same time, they subjected our border forces’ posts along the groups’ crossing routes to artillery and heavy-weapons fire,” he noted.
Earlier this week, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused the Pakistani authorities of trying to sabotage the negotiation process and said that its senior officials are focused on propaganda instead of finding solutions, describing it as Islamabad’s “failed policy”.
In a post on X, Mujahid said that Pakistan blaming Afghanistan for its own failures is “no solution to any problem” and said that Islamabad facing political, security, social, and economic challenges is a “matter of serious concern.
–IANS
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