Afghan leader demands action from Pakistan against Taliban
42
KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani demanded tough action from Pakistan against Afghan Taliban militants in a letter seeking greater anti-terrorism cooperation, after facing strong public criticism over a controversial intelligence-sharing deal between the neighbours.
The spy agencies of both countries this month agreed to trade intelligence and bolster cooperation in their fight against the Taliban, the latest sign of a thaw in once-frosty ties.
The Afghan government played down the significance of the deal, which triggered uproar in parliament and an avalanche of public criticism, with many accusing Ghani's government of selling out to Pakistan.
In the letter, whose contents were shared by officials with AFP on Sunday, Ghani asked Islamabad's civilian and military leadership to condemn the Afghan Taliban's annual spring offensive and reiterated Kabul's longstanding demand of denying insurgents sanctuary on their side of the border.
The letter also demanded that Pakistan place Taliban leaders in Quetta and Peshawar under house arrest and detain members of the Taliban-allied Haqqani network “responsible for recent terror campaign in Afghanistan”.
The letter comes as the Taliban intensify their annual spring offensive, launched in late April, which has sent civilian casualties soaring.
It marks the first fighting season in which Afghan forces will battle the insurgents without the full support of US-led foreign combat troops.
Afghan officials have frequently accused Pakistan of harbouring and nurturing Taliban insurgents, who are waging a 13-year war against local and foreign troops in the country.
But Ghani has actively courted Pakistan, which has historically backed the Taliban, since coming to power in what observers say is a calculated gambit to pressure the insurgents to the negotiating table.
Afghanistan's engagement with Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban is seen as a major policy shift from the previous Hamid Karzai government, which accused Islamabad of destabilising Kabul.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (42) Closed
May 31, 2015 05:21pm
I guess some countries were not happy at Pak- Afghan success after coperation. Still Afghan are brothers, blood is thicker than water, we will destroy foreign funded Taliban extremists togather.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:25pm
So much for brotherhood. We have lost Afghanistan to India a long time ago
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:33pm
I don't know what Afghani people want. Why are the criticizing the intelligence deal. Peace in Afghanistan is linked to peace in Pakistan and vice versa. Instead of crying they keep one thing in mind we have suffered a lot from those who were financed by ur ally and supported by ur spy masters. I know you guys would have the same stories but put aside our past and go for a brighter future because in the end its the innocents who have to pray the price regardless of their religion, color, race and geographical boundaries.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:36pm
I 100% agree with Mr ghani. Pakistan should cooperate with Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorism from whole region.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:40pm
US, India, Iran and a host of many other countries demanded the same but nothing changed. Afghanistan, too, will get tired of making such demands and give up soon.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:41pm
Oh thats what i predicted slowly but surely ghani will also know the truthh and here he is the process starts....
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:42pm
Even we want action against these wayward elements but your friend India does not want us to go all out against them. India's interest lies in with Pakistan perpetually engaged with Talibans. Give some sane advice to your good friend also.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:46pm
Ghani made a blunder, Afghan people are paying price.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 05:56pm
Very legitimate demands.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 06:09pm
While foreign troops have ended combat ooperations in Afghanistan, Taliban offensive against Afghan government and it's forces put a question mark. Pakistan should not lose this last opportunity to counter Indian involvement of supporting and inciting anti Pakistan elements within the Afghan government.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 06:17pm
These demands are positive and legitimate.
We should be hanging the terrorists who are kept in our jails.
Afghanistan, that once was used as a weapon against us by India became our partner. This destroyed the 10 year old strategic asset of india. We should be taking this letter seriously to keep the partnership hassle free.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 06:47pm
Back to square one. Any no of trips by our PM and Gen Raheel Sharif to Afghanistan has yielded nothing. This demand is the same as that of Hamid Karzai. Now what?
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 06:56pm
Good luck Mr. Ghani. You will need it.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 07:00pm
Pakistan must show 200% support to Afghanistan during this time. We should let the Afghanis feel that we are on their side. This is how we can stabilize our western border and move Pakistan towards a Progressive era.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 07:20pm
Now real test of Pakistan policy of action against all good and bad Taliban, across the board.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 07:21pm
I think Afghanistan is now losing patience!!
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 07:51pm
All the best Afghanistan.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 07:56pm
Good luck, Afghanistan.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 08:19pm
@Abaid So what should Pakistan do ? this is an Afghan problem and they should face up to it.!
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 08:51pm
Mr Ghani, hold our hands. You will see the results...
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:01pm
This is a acid test for Pakistan as Ghani has put all the eggs in the former's basket much to India's discomfort. If Pakistan continues its old policy allow its territory to be used by Afghan Taliban, it will risk spoiling relations not only with Afghanistan but US and its all weather friend as well who wants to play the role of peacemaker in Afghanistan. In such a scenario India will be back to play a major role in Afghanistan and roles will be reversed.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:12pm
Pakistan is fighting a full fledged war against Taliban on the borders of Afghanistan and he is demanding for more. I'd say send all the illegal Afghans back to Afghanistan and close the border. We should focus on our internal security.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:17pm
Mr. Ghani, please catch Fazulullah and Omar Khalid first.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:20pm
As expected Afghanistan is losing patience. Pakistan is in such a mess with so many different voices pulling it in different directions that it can never fulfill it's commitment. This was bound to happen. Ghani has gone out of the way to deliver his side of the bargain but in return has got nothing. Karzai also started like Ghani and look where he ended. Just give it 6 months and you will see a hostile Afghanistan and the lul in both Afghanistan and Pakistan blowing over
For Pakistan the relations it can deliver is becoming a client or colony of some nation. For many years it was USA and now China is taking over. While China is building roads as per it's need, it is bring it's obsolete thermal technology which it has to dismantle as per climate deals to Pak. Experts have already pointed out, it is not the lack of capacity in Pakistan rather circular debt which has produced shortages. The Thermal technology with imported coal will not change anything. And then they call it game changer
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:22pm
This is a perfectly reasonable expectation of President Ghani.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:48pm
And what has his government done so far in curbing terrorism and bringing stability to Afghanistan? What about all the terrorism that is leaked into Pakistani borders via Afghanistan? Can we also put the same pressure on the Afghan government? Pakistan has already put in alot of energy in clearing up mess within its borders but its about time that other country's start pulling their weight too!
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:58pm
From the Indians experience I can say that there is not much of results by demanding Pakistan. They are not going to leave the policy of proxy war with neighbour's. Its better to strengthen your own internal defense mechanism to fight any external threat.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 09:58pm
"By the time he will know truth about Pakistanis,you cant play juggling game with Pakistan.Pakistan is clear about that it wants to keep Afghanistan under his thumb and Afghans should understand it as soon as possible,its better for them..tell me the meaning of Afghanistan shakes hand with Pakistan for its own security.What nonsense."
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 10:05pm
It has become fashionable in Afghanistan to blame problems on others instead of looking at themselves. I had hoped Ghani would own up to the reality of Afghanistan's own responsibility but it seems he is giving in to playing the same game as Karzai. Why can't both countries just agree to seal the border and severely restrict the movement across it to one or two very well guarded check posts? This way no one can cross the border without the knowledge of the other country. Also it's time for millions of Afghan refugees to go back to Kabul.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 10:38pm
Taliban is the product of Afghanistan. They should first clean up their own mess first.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 10:42pm
@Abaid They have lost the patience.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 10:49pm
Militants not dangerous to Pakistan should not be targeted: Sartaj
http://www.dawn.com/news/1145135
Now this is the policy of Pakistan, why Pakistan is not in position to understand that killing is not the solution to the problems? we don't hope that Pakistan will stop nurturing good and bad Talibans until people of Pakistan stand against them
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 10:58pm
MR.GANI, however sincere you are in extending your friendly hand, to pak.,, you can not change thier basic instinct of hatred, war and fighting like 15th.century chieftains!
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 11:11pm
Why don't you let us seal the border then Mr Ghani ?
Sealing the border will completely cut off the militants travel, but only Afghanistan is against this.
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 11:31pm
Karzai was right!!!
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 11:31pm
Mr. Ghani when are you handing over Mullah Fazal killer of innocent 163 children?
Recommend
0
May 31, 2015 11:45pm
Good luck to both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The former needs to prove that laters actions and words are not hollow and Pakistan gets another chance to prove that, this time around it is different! Let us all wait and see.
Recommend
0
Jun 01, 2015 12:17am
@Indian Dalit Who are they?
Recommend
0
Jun 01, 2015 12:17am
"Afghan officials have frequently accused Pakistan of harbouring and nurturing Taliban insurgents."---- Any proof?
Recommend
0
Jun 01, 2015 12:22am
Pakistan should react responsibly by denouncing all sort of Talibans and eliminating their sanctuaries whether in the urban or tribal areas. Pakistan can benefit more from peace than Afghanistan...
Recommend
0
Jun 01, 2015 12:30am
Afghanistan is a safe heaven for Talibans. 6 million afghani refugees are living in Pakistan and how dare he talks like that? The only solution is to seal all border with Afghanistan, the attacks in Pakistan soil will automatically stop.
Recommend
0
Jun 01, 2015 04:09am
@Indian Dalit Sure, will do.."Indian Dalit"
Recommend
0
