ISLAMABAD / KABUL
Afghanistan’s interim Taliban setup is not ‘happy’ with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s statement at the United Nation General Assembly’s (UNGA) regarding the alleged presence of terrorist groups on Afghan soil, local media reported here Sunday.
In his address to the 77th UNGA session, the prime minister on one hand stressed international community to engage with the Afghan Taliban, but he also expressed his concerns over the alleged presence of terrorist organizations.
“Shehbaz particularly mentioned the threat posed by the major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, especially ISIL-K and TTP as well as Al-Qaeda, ETIM and IMU. “They all need to be dealt with comprehensively, with the support and cooperation of the interim Afghan authorities,” he insisted. His statement, however, was not taken well by the Afghan interim government, which put out a statement rejecting the allegations,” the Express Tribune reported Sunday.
However, the statement has sparked concerns in the Taliban ranks, provoking them to issue a communiqué in this regard.
“These concerns are based on incorrect information and sources and are being brought up as the relevant parties are yet to hand over the seat of Afghanistan at the United Nations to its rightful legal and political owners, the Afghan government,” the Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson claimed.
“If this right is indeed afforded to the Afghan government, it will open an opportunity to directly share ground realities of Afghanistan with regional and world countries and address any concerns,” the statement added.
“Rather than raising unsubstantiated concerns and allegations, the world should engage positively with the Islamic Emirate by sharing their view and concerns directly and not through the media or public statements,” he said.
