Kabul, Oct 17: Security and stability of South Asia faces a threat from Pakistan which is hosting global terrorist outfit ISIS, the Afghan regime has told an international conference in Moscow.
Gul Hassan Hassan, Taliban regime’s Ambassador to Russia, said Pakistan has not only provided shelter to armed terrorists but has also attempted to infiltrate hundreds of insurgents into Afghanistan’s Badakshan on July 4 and into Nuristan on September 25.
At the same time, Pakistan has carried out aerial bombings on Afghanistan and shelling on border posts, he said at a meeting on security issues in Central Asia and Afghanistan, attended by representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
“We can confidently say that the threat to regional security and stability now comes from Pakistan. This country not only hosts armed opponents of the Afghan government but has also created conditions for ISIS activities and drug trafficking,” Hassan said.
At the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country considers Afghanistan’s government “a reality that must be accepted”.
Lavrov said Moscow is working to strengthen international support for the authorities in Kabul and regional security initiatives.
He also called for an independent, united, and peaceful Afghanistan, free from war and drugs.
“As time goes on, we must make greater and greater efforts. In this regard, we are working with all Central Asian countries while also engaging with our colleagues in Kabul,” Lavrov added.
Representatives of Tajikistan and Kazakhstan also emphasized the importance of stability in Afghanistan and called for regional and international support aimed at the country’s economic reconstruction.
Dauren Abayev, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Russia, stated: “Kazakhstan wants a peaceful, united, and stable Afghanistan—a country that maintains good relations with its neighbors and actively participates in regional economic dialogue.”
Mirzasharif Jalolov, Head of Strategic Studies at Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, added: “The Republic of Tajikistan has always supported the constructive efforts of the regional and international community aimed at the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.”
During the meeting, Ahmad Saeed Muradzada, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said that establishing an inclusive government with broad participation from Afghanistan’s ethnic and political groups is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the country.
