Islamabad : Pakistan Thursday asked neighbouring Afghanistan to share evidence of its involvement in “insurgent attacks, acts of terrorism, and cross-border shelling”, officials said.
The comments came two days after Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in his Independence Day speech in Kabul, accused Pakistan of meddling in Kabul’s internal affairs.
Senior Afghan officials have also stepped up criticism of Pakistan.
The Afghan foreign ministry Monday claimed that Pakistan was “creating a militia” to disrupt peace in the country.
Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Ahmad Shakib Mustaghni said Afghan security agencies have collected information that Pakistan was “spending money” to prepare a militia.
Sartaj Aziz, the Pakistan prime minister’s advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs, has challenged the Afghan allegation and sought evidence in a meeting with Afghan Ambassador Janan Mosazai in Islamabad, Xinhua reported.
Referring to allegations emanating from Afghan institutions and senior officials, implicating Pakistan for insurgent attacks, acts of terrorism and cross-border shelling, the advisor stressed that if the Afghan side has any evidence to substantiate these allegations, it should be shared with Pakistan, the foreign ministry said.
The advisor further stressed that Pakistan remained committed to building a friendly and good neighbourly relationship with Afghanistan on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We will continue our efforts to meaningfully address mutual concerns and strengthen trust and understanding. For this purpose, both sides must utilise the bilateral mechanisms to reinforce Pakistan-Afghanistan security cooperation and improve border controls and management,” he said.
The Afghan National Security Council (NSC) Monday accused Pakistan of “providing weapons and money to its paramilitary forces to target Afghans on this side of the Durand Line from the tribal belt”.
At a plenary session of the NSC, presided over by President Hamid Karzai, security officials briefed those attending the meeting on the current situation in Afghanistan, a statement from Karzai’s office said.