ISLAMABAD/KABUL: Afghanistan’s Acting Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir on Sunday reiterated that the Taliban government would not allow Afghan soil to be used against anyone, as Pakistan accused the war-torn country of cross-border attacks.
This development came during a meeting of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman with Maulvi Kabir and other cabinet members.
In a statement issued by the Fazl-led party today, the Afghan Deputy Prime Minister welcomed Maulana Fazl on his arrival in Kabul.
Duchovní emphasized that the two countries, in addition to supporting cooperation in various fields, should resolve bilateral issues through talks. He added that Pakistan and Afghanistan have common interests and therefore both sides should further strengthen bilateral relations.
He further said that JUI-F did not support Pakistan’s decision to repatriate Afghan refugees.
Maulvi Kabir expressed hope that Fazl’s visit would enable both sides to strengthen bilateral relations and end misunderstandings. He said Afghanistan was grateful to Pakistan for accepting and facilitating Afghan refugees.
The interim deputy prime minister said Kabul wants regional peace and stability, as well as strong ties with its neighbors. He added that Kabul will not allow Afghan soil to be used against anyone.
He called for fact-based conversations to be preferred over rumors and negative propaganda in the media. Maulvi Kabir also urged Pakistan to provide basic facilities to Afghan refugees.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman along with a delegation of party leaders arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday for their first visit in nearly 10 years as part of efforts to ease tensions between the two countries amid a spike in cross-border attacks.
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The delegation includes Maulana Abdul Wasay, Maulana Salahuddin, Maulana Jamaluddin and Maulana Salimuddin Shamzai, Maulana Kamaluddin, Maulana Idrees, Maulana Imdadullah and Mufti Abrar.
Acting Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Sardar Ahmed Jan Shakib met the senior politician on December 16 and invited him to visit Afghanistan. Later, Fazl’s upcoming visit was confirmed by Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
It will be Fazl’s first visit since the Taliban seized power in the war-torn country following the United States’ withdrawal in 2021.
Fazl first visited Afghanistan in 2013 under former President Hamid Karzai.
The visit will also discuss the continued use of Afghan soil against Pakistan, an issue Islamabad has repeatedly raised with the Taliban-led Afghan administration, the sources added.
In the Geo News program “Jirga”, Fazl said that he has a government mandate to visit Afghanistan.
“I believe in negotiations, but a comprehensive strategy can only be moved by looking at the ground reality for talks with the TTP,” Fazl said.
The visit comes at a time when relations between the two countries have soured amid a surge in terror incidents in Pakistan, mostly claimed by the TTP.
In 2023, Pakistan remained a hotbed of terrorism and violence amid internal political conflicts, socio-economic disparities, regional instability and rising tensions with militant groups operating in border areas adjacent to Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Fazl has expressed grave concern over the peace and security situation in the country after his party has been attacked three times in the last six months for being on the lookout for banned outfits over the years.
The latest was a gun attack on a politician’s convoy in Dera Ismail Khan, but luckily he was unharmed because he was not there.
Last September, senior JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah was injured in a blast – which injured 10 others – in Balochistan’s Mastung area, while in July 2023, at least 40 JUI-F workers were killed in a suicide blast targeting the party. labor convention at Bajaur’s Khar.
