Hamid Karzai lambasts Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks about presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 24 (ANI): Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday lambasted Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his remark at the United Nations General Assembly session that a threat of terrorism emanates from Afghanistan.
“The statement at #UNGA of Hon. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of #Pakistan regarding the presence of terrorist groups in #Afghanistan is unfortunate and untrue. Facts are in opposite direction: #Pakistan govt has been for decades nurturing and using terrorism against the people, culture and heritage of #Afghanistan. Continuing to use propaganda and extremism to undermine the wellbeing of the people of #Afghanistan is not in the interest of #Pakistan, conducting a civilised relationship is,” tweeted Karzai.
Earlier, Pakistan’s PM said that “Pakistan shares the key concern of the international community regarding the threat posed by the major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan especially Islamic State- Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as well as Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU),” reported Tolo News.
Karzai said that the remarks were not true. He said in a statement that Afghanistan has been the victim of terrorism and that terrorist sanctuaries have been active under the Pakistani government in the country–and have been used against Afghanistan for decades.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that the allegations were baseless.
“Some countries, including the United States and Pakistan, expressed concerns … that threat of terrorism still exists in Afghanistan,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“These concerns, based on incorrect information and sources, are being brought up as the relevant parties are yet to hand over the seat of Afghanistan at the United Nations to its rightful, legal and political owners, the Afghan government,” added the statement.
Speaking at a gathering in Kabul, the acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi said that “biased circles in the world call Afghanistan a terrorist haven.”
Sharif also urged the Taliban to respect human rights and women’s rights, reported Tolo News.
Since its ascent to power in Kabul, the Islamic group imposed policies severely restricting basic rights–particularly those of women and girls.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Taliban dismissed all women from leadership posts in the civil service and prohibited girls in most provinces from attending secondary school.
Taliban decrees prohibit women from travelling unless accompanied by a male relative and require women’s faces to be covered in public–including women TV newscasters.
The Taliban have also carried out censorship, limited critical reporting, and beaten journalists. Taliban forces have carried out revenge killings and enforced disappearances of former government officials and security force personnel. They have summarily executed people deemed affiliated with the Islamic State.
Armed groups linked to the Afghan branch of the Islamic State have carried out bombings targeting ethnic Hazaras, Afghan Shias, Sufis, and others, killing and injuring hundreds. (ANI)
