Ashraf Ghani Warns Pakistan About 'Continued Hosting of Terrorists'

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, stated that he no longer considers Pakistan a mediator capable of bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table and expects Pakistan to fight against the Taliban and other 'terrorist forces.' He implicitly referred to the Taliban as 'slaves and mercenaries' of Pakistan and expressed that the Afghan people expect their government to complain to the United Nations Security Council about Pakistan for its 'continued hosting and equipping of terrorist groups that are enemies of the Afghan people.' According to a report by Reuters on Tuesday (April 25), Ghani made these remarks during a joint session of the Afghan parliament, stating that his country is facing terrorist enemies trained as 'slaves' of the Taliban in Pakistan. Following last week's terrorist attacks in Kabul that resulted in the deaths of over 64 people and injuries to hundreds more, the President announced his participation in the joint parliamentary session to firmly express his positions against the Taliban. Ghani explicitly identified Afghanistan's enemies as groups such as 'ISIS, Al-Qaeda, members of the Haqqani network, and some Taliban who enjoy shedding the blood of their compatriots.' He added that the doors for negotiation are open to those Taliban members who are ready to stop the bloodshed in the country. However, Ghani noted that the opportunity for negotiation and dialogue does not exist indefinitely. He continued by saying that 'the leaders of the Taliban and Afghanistan's enemies and slaves' have taken refuge in western Pakistani cities such as Peshawar and Quetta, and Pakistani officials must cleanse these areas of their presence. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has previously accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and militants such as members of the Haqqani network. While Pakistan denies supporting these groups, Ghani has called on the Pakistani government to fulfill its commitments and take military action against these groups based in Pakistan. Ghani explicitly stated, 'Our people expect us to complain to the United Nations Security Council and other international organizations regarding the continued hosting, equipping, and facilitating the activities of terrorist groups against the Afghan people from Pakistani territory.' Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, reacted to Ghani's statements in a tweet, saying that the Afghan nation 'is not blind and understands who the slaves are and who work for the interests of others.' The Taliban has rejected peace negotiations on the grounds of the continued presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan. The recent terrorist operations by the Taliban, which are considered the largest operations by this group since 2011, have led some political circles in Afghanistan to conclude that Ghani may officially announce the end and death of peace negotiations in the country. The Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, seeks the overthrow of the Western-backed government in the country and the establishment of an Islamic regime. Concurrently with Ashraf Ghani's statements, concerns in Afghanistan about the increase in terrorist attacks in the country have risen with the arrival of summer. Large parts of the southern Helmand province are currently under the control of insurgents, and fierce clashes are ongoing in these areas and several other provinces between government forces and insurgents. In March 2016, Ghani had also urged the Taliban to choose between war and peace during a speech in the parliament. In this context, the casualties from the explosion in Kabul on Tuesday rose to 64, and a deadly attack in the Afghan capital left at least 28 dead.