Afghan blame game: Karzai says Pakistan-based groups planned attack on spy chief

Afghan President Hamed Karzai Saturday claimed that the suicide attack on his country’s intelligence chief, Asadullah Khalid, was planned in the Pakistani city of Quetta and blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack in Kabul. Afghanistan’s spy chief was wounded in the attack at the guest of the intelligence agency on Thursday.

Taliban and a hardliner splinter group Dadullah Mahaz had claimed responsibility for the attack, which is likely to heightened tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan days after the two countries held series of talks.

Karzai announced at a press conference in Kabul that his government will take this high-profile attack seriously and will raise it with Pakistan.

He said he will travel to Turkey in few days where Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari and other officials  will also be present and the Afghan side will raise the issue.

“We will talk with Pakistani officials there about these issues very explicitly and we will ask them what actions have they taken and will take to prevent attacks organized from Quetta and elsewhere in Pakistan?”

Asadullah Khalid, a close confidant of President Karzai, was supposed to accompany the President in the Turkey’s visit.

The Afghan President said that the attack on Prof. Rabbani had been planned in Quetta and the attack on Asadullah Khalid was also organized in Pakistan, adding the bomber came from Pakistan.

Karzai’s allegations came just two days after the attack which is still being investigated. The Afghan government formed an investigation team on Friday and it has not yet started work, Afghan media said.

Assertions by Afghan President reflect the mistrust between the two uneasy neighbours, whose cooperation is thought to be very important for the reconciliation in Afghanistan in view of Islamabad’s influence on the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed during the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister, Zalmai Rasoul, late last week to avoid allegations in the media to restore trust. But President Karzai’s remarks would not be welcomed in Pakistan at a time when the two countries agreed to jointly work for the peace process in Afghanistan.

Pakistan freed 13 Afghan Taliban prisoners last month on the request by the Afghan Peace Council and had also agreed to free more to push the peace process forward.

President Karzai said that the Pakistani government will give Kabul accurate information on the attack on the Afghan intelligence chief and cooperate seriously so that the suspicions of the Afghan people are addressed.

“Today the people of Afghanistan have doubts. On the one hand, a foundation for friendship and cooperation is being laid, and on the other hand, attacks are being orchestrated from that land on our senior government officials and people.

“This is an issue we hope the relevant Pakistani officials will cooperate with us on with complete sincerity if they hope to make peace and have brotherly [relations] with Afghanistan so that our people can find a solution to these problems or at least Afghanistan can make its own decision about what path it should follow,” Afghanistan National Afghanistan TV quoted Karzai as saying.

President Hamid Karzai also ruled out the possibility of the Taliban’s involvement in the attack, saying that it was impossible for the Taliban to carry out such a “complicated attack”.

“It is important to know who has carried out the attack on Asadullah Khalid. Apparently, it was reported that the Taliban carried out the attack like other attacks which were said to have been carried out by the Taliban,” the president said.

He said it is impossible for the Taliban to carry out such a complicated attack in which the bomb was placed inside the body and it is an extremely professional and engineered work. “The Taliban could not carry out this attack. Therefore, bigger and more skilful hands were involved in this attack,” Karzai said.

He went on to say that such attacks are carried out to create hurdles for the peace efforts, adding that whenever the peace process makes progress and produces success and hopes, such attacks take place.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Dec 8 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.