Pakistan’s PM advises Afghan Government to hold elections under interim government and holding talks with Taliban

Pakistan’s PM Repeats Controversial Remarks On Afghanistan

Imran Khan said that he had given a brotherly advice to Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday repeated his controversial statement regarding an interim setup in Afghanistan to break the stalemate on peace, Pakistani media reported.

Addressing a rally in Jamrud, Khan said that he had given a brotherly advice to Afghanistan but he was slammed for his statement, the National Cuorier said in a report.

The Pakistani Prime Minister’s statement faced with harsh critisizm by the Afghan government and politicians as they called it a clear interference in Afghanistan’s affairs.

However, after Khan’s comments, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the comments made by the prime minister were misinterpreted.

“We should all pray for peace in Afghanistan so that the people over there can live once again,” he said. “I gave a brotherly advice to the Afghan government due to which they became furious. I have learnt in my experience that neutrality benefits everyone,” he said, as quoted by the National Courier.

Khan said that peace in Afghanistan would be beneficial for the tribal people in Pakistan.

“If there is peace in Afghanistan, tribal people will benefit,” he said.

Pakistan’s MoFA says Khan had referred to Pakistan’s model where elections are held under an interim government.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in a statement on Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on Afghanistan have been reported out of context in the media, leading to unwarranted reaction from various quarters.

“In his comments, the PM had referred 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,” the statement said.

Pakistan has no other interest in Afghanistan but to promote peace through an ‘Afghan owned’ and ‘Afghan led’ political process, the statement says.

The statement said Prime Minister of Pakistan has taken personal interest in facilitating the ongoing political reconciliation process and the same must not be misconstrued to undermine the sincere efforts of Pakistan or to create misunderstandings at this crucial stage of the process.

“Prime Minister of Pakistan understands the plight of brave people of Afghanistan, who have a right to live in peace after four decades of violence and war,” the statement concluded.

His comments faced with harsh criticism Afghan politicians. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan called the comments “reckless” and interference in Afghanistan’s affairs.

‘We Will Never Bow’ To Pakistan: Saleh

Amrullah Saleh says Afghan authorities are ready to participate in future talks.

Amrullah Saleh, a vice-presidential candidate for the next elections and former head of the NDS has said that Afghanistan can be an ally to Pakistan but it “will never bow” to it.

“What we are communicating to Pakistanis is: We can be your allies, but we will never bow to you,” Saleh said in an interview with FRANCE 24.

Saleh blasted the suggestion by Pakistani PM Imran Khan to create an interim government in Afghanistan to conduct talks with the Taliban, warning that Khan “should be very careful” with Afghanistan. He once again accused Pakistan of “sponsoring terror”.

Saleh urged the US to include the Afghan government in its current negotiations with the Taliban. He hinted that such an involvement was needed to make the negotiations successful.

In the interview, Saleh denied a claim by a Dutch journalist that the former Taliban leader Mullah Omar was hiding for years in Afghanistan instead of Pakistan, branding her work “Harry Potter-like fiction”.

In the meantime, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told local private Pakistan TV that President Ashraf Ghani’s administration has taken an ill-advised decision to call back its Islamabad-based ambassador as a protest on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s reported comments regarding installation of interim government in Afghanistan.

Ambassador Atif Mashal, who had returned to Islamabad on Tuesday from Afghanistan, left for Kabul on Wednesday after he was called back as protest over the reported comments by Imran Khan.

On Wednesday, Foreign Office clarified that the PM had referred to Pakistan’s model where elections are held under an interim government.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office insisted that the “comments should not be misinterpreted to imply interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.” However, the clarification is seemed to have little impact in Afghanistan as Afghan leaders kept on continuing their criticism at the prime minister.

In reaction to Khan’s comment, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday said that it is only the Afghan people who determine the future of their country, but not an outsider.

“We welcome all efforts towards peace in Afghanistan, but will never allow any country to subvert the right of self-determination of our people or undermine our sovereignty under the pretext of facilitating peace negotiations,” said Abdullah.

Abdullah said that Afghanistan does not expect any neighboring country to influence Afghanistan.

Source :

Tolo News