Afghan ambassador to return to Pakistan after PM Khan's remarks clarified
Afghanistan will return its ambassador to Islamabad after Pakistan clarified Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks that Kabul had deemed to be political interference, the Afghan foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The prime minister had told journalists on Monday that forming an interim Afghan government would smoothen peace talks between the United States and Taliban officials, according to published comments.
The Afghan government recalled ambassador Atif Mashal from Islamabad the next day and demanded an explanation for remarks that it called “irresponsible.”
The US ambassador to Afghanistan, John Bass, also criticised Khan, drawing a sharp response from Pakistan. In a tweet on Wednesday addressed to the premier, Bass told the renowned former cricketer not to “ball-tamper” with Afghan affairs.
But after clarifications from the prime minister and the foreign ministry, Mashal will return to Islamabad, Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Sibghatullah Ahmadi said in a tweet.
The Foreign Office had on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Khan's comments, reported by Pakistani media outlets and picked up in Afghanistan, had been taken out of context.
Dismissing the outrage over the news report, it stated that the premier had only been referring to "Pakistan’s model, where elections are held under an interim government. The comments should not be misinterpreted to imply interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs."
Kabul has demanded an explanation from Islamabad three times in just over a month for comments related to peace talks aimed at ending 17 years of war in Afghanistan.
US and Taliban officials have held several rounds of talks but the Taliban have refused to talk directly to the Afghan government, which they consider an illegitimate “puppet” regime.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's mandate officially expires in May and he faces a re-election battle. But the date for the vote has been postponed twice and is now set for September 28.
Ghani has been shut out from the peace talks and is under pressure from rivals to step aside and allow a caretaker government to take over, a suggestion he has rejected.
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Comments (24) Closed
Very amateur behavoir by Afghan Government.
Nothing would harmed if clarified before recalling.
Much ado about nothing
Why not to be clear as what not to say when issuing statements ? Clarifications later on are bit embarrassing.
Expel all Afghans from here. That will teach them to be obedient.
Why, just stay home.
Ik what's wrong with you playing nice to Afghanistan? They have never appreciated all that we have done for them.
stay out, you are not welcome and take your refugees back with you.
They have no other choice but to ask the ambassador to return. It was a political gimmick that failed.
Tell him next time you go to Afghanistan take all your refugees with you, we have looked after them long enough.
Ikh should be careful This is not a cricket field
IK should not repeat such mistakes. Need to show maturity on important matters at least.
Oh noooo! Can the Afghan ambassador please stay in his country and preferably also take back a couple million of his countrymen that are residing in Pakistan as refugees? Secondly, we should let the US and Afghan governments deal with their issues without our help - just shut the door and let them wrestle.
They had an ambassador here? Fine. Come or go, makes no difference.
Poor Ghani wants to hang on to power as long as he can He knows he has no position in the next govt , and he wants to hang on at any price, may be the Americans will finally have to show him the door.
Unnecessary fight due to statements without paying too much thought about all aspects
another BLUNDER of inexperience
Wellcome back. When is next date for going again.
Afghan president lacks independent thinking. These presidents are planted by US. They never represent the Afghan citizens who are us.
An interim government will smooth matters.. no doubt. They will agree to it after a while.
Very sad and unpalatable to see such spinning and making up a mountain from a mole.
And, what would it matter if he did not come? Send him back to Kabul for the summers just so!
Please dont return. Stay where you belong
Afganistan is our neighbor and brother. We are not interested to interfere in their affairs. Let them sort out their problems.
Comments (24) Closed
Very amateur behavoir by Afghan Government.
Nothing would harmed if clarified before recalling.
Much ado about nothing
Why not to be clear as what not to say when issuing statements ? Clarifications later on are bit embarrassing.
Expel all Afghans from here. That will teach them to be obedient.
Why, just stay home.
Ik what's wrong with you playing nice to Afghanistan? They have never appreciated all that we have done for them.
stay out, you are not welcome and take your refugees back with you.
They have no other choice but to ask the ambassador to return. It was a political gimmick that failed.
Tell him next time you go to Afghanistan take all your refugees with you, we have looked after them long enough.
Ikh should be careful This is not a cricket field
IK should not repeat such mistakes. Need to show maturity on important matters at least.
Oh noooo! Can the Afghan ambassador please stay in his country and preferably also take back a couple million of his countrymen that are residing in Pakistan as refugees? Secondly, we should let the US and Afghan governments deal with their issues without our help - just shut the door and let them wrestle.
They had an ambassador here? Fine. Come or go, makes no difference.
Poor Ghani wants to hang on to power as long as he can He knows he has no position in the next govt , and he wants to hang on at any price, may be the Americans will finally have to show him the door.
Unnecessary fight due to statements without paying too much thought about all aspects
another BLUNDER of inexperience
Wellcome back. When is next date for going again.
Afghan president lacks independent thinking. These presidents are planted by US. They never represent the Afghan citizens who are us.
An interim government will smooth matters.. no doubt. They will agree to it after a while.
Very sad and unpalatable to see such spinning and making up a mountain from a mole.
And, what would it matter if he did not come? Send him back to Kabul for the summers just so!
Please dont return. Stay where you belong
Afganistan is our neighbor and brother. We are not interested to interfere in their affairs. Let them sort out their problems.