'Nothing insulting about PM Imran's remarks on Afghanistan': Taliban FM responds to Hamid Karzai

Published December 20, 2021
Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi speaks to the media after returning to Kabul from Islamabad on Monday. — Photo courtesy Tolo News
Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi speaks to the media after returning to Kabul from Islamabad on Monday. — Photo courtesy Tolo News

Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi disapproved on Monday former president Hamid Karzai's statement wherein the latter rebuked Prime Minister Imran Khan for attributing the prevalent situation in the war-torn country to years of "corruption" by previous governments.

Prime Minister Imran made the remarks while addressing the 17th extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Council (OIC) of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on Sunday, where he also said that Pakistan faced the threat of the militant Islamic State (IS) group from Afghan soil.

Reacting to the premier's remarks, Karzai described the statements as "an attempt to sow discord among Afghans, and an insult to the Afghan people".

In a statement on his Twitter, he said the Pakistan government should “strictly refrain from propagating against Afghanistan and interfering in our internal affairs”.

“Pakistan should avoid speaking on behalf of Afghanistan [on] international forums. It should work towards creating positive and civilised relations between the two countries," Karzai wrote.

Responding to the premier's remarks on an IS threat originating from Afghanistan, the former president said the "allegation" that IS was active in the country and posed a threat to neighbouring Pakistan "is [a] clear propaganda as the reality has been the opposite".

"The threat of ISIS has been directed from Pakistan against Afghanistan from the very onset," he added.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Muttaqi disapproved of Karzai's statement.

Upon returning to Kabul from Islamabad, where he had also addressed the OIC's session on Afghanistan, Muttaqi told reporters he did not find anything "insulting" about Prime Minister Imran's remarks.

"I do not see anything insulting about Imran Khan's remarks that needs an official response. It was a positive conference and there are positive outcomes so we should not take it negatively,” Muttaqi said.

"What's of significance is that Imran Khan slammed former Afghan governments and I believe that officials from the past governments were compelled to show some reaction," the foreign minister said.

He added that different views and opinions were shared at the meeting and that every person was responsible for what they said.

"[And more] importantly, all participants at the conference spoke in favour of Afghanistan."

Muttaqi’s remarks were posted on the official Facebook page of Afghanistan’s state media.

Opinion

GB’s lost hope

GB’s lost hope

Given the need for democratic and accountable governance in GB, the quest for a provisional province warrants immediate attention.

Editorial

Dangerous times
Updated 14 Feb, 2025

Dangerous times

Pakistan accounted for six journalist killings in 2024, of which three were deliberately murdered, according to the CPJ.
Difficult target
14 Feb, 2025

Difficult target

A ONE-two punch delivered by an unforeseen, sharp dip in inflation and an extremely slim base of taxpayers is...
Amazing show
14 Feb, 2025

Amazing show

PAKISTAN’S ability to turn it up at the flick of a switch remains uninhibited. The latest show came in...
Trump’s folly
Updated 13 Feb, 2025

Trump’s folly

This latest pronouncement only reinforces the fears of those who see the plan as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.
Corruption ranking
13 Feb, 2025

Corruption ranking

IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on...
Support from remittances
13 Feb, 2025

Support from remittances

EVEN though workers’ remittances dipped, albeit negligibly, in January on a month-over-month basis, the earnings...