Former Afghan minister criticises Pak PM for omitting home country terror groups in UN speech
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Kabul: Former Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammed Haneef Atmar criticised Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif for not mentioning terrorist groups operating out of Pakistan in his address at the UN General Assembly. Sharif was vocal about the terror threat from Afghanistan.
Atmar took to Twitter to slam deliberately omitting the mention of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), both of which are Pakistan-based terror outfits. LeT is known to be the second largest terrorist organisation in South Asia. He accused Sharif of distinguishing between good and bad terrorists.
Sharif had named Islamic State- Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) as Afghan-based terror groups and described them as a threat to the international community.
"PM Shehbaz at UNGA warning about the threat posed by major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan should be of vital concern to Afghanistan, the region, and the international community," he wrote on the microblogging platform. The politician further specified that Let is only second to the Taliban in terms of fighters' strength.
He also warned the international community of the growing presence of LeT and drew attention to its history and current objectives. "Sharif is already directing the international community's anger and response to Afghanistan in case of another 9/11. And yet, he does not take any responsibility for this situation," he tweeted.
Sharif had at UNGA stated that Afghanistan and the international community should focus on counter-terrorism and lasting peace by depending on the representativeness, inclusivity, and legitimacy of the Afghan government. Atmar argued that Pak PM's emphasis on dealing with terror groups lacks strategy.
He further asked if Pakistan is willing to genuinely be part of an international and regional effort to support intra-Afghan negotiation and a political settlement.
Sharif's statement is drawing strong criticism from Afghanistan. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai stated that many of Afghanistan's terrorist groups have been active under the Pakistani government by providing fighters sanctuaries. He added that these organisations have been used against Afghanistan for decades.