ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday strongly rejected allegations of its involvement in the battle in Ghazni.
Reports in Afghan media claimed that militants who were injured in the battle have returned back to Pakistan for treatment.
“Pakistan strongly rejects reports alleging that some Taliban fighters involved in the Ghazni attack were offered medical treatment in Pakistani hospitals,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement.
“Afghanistan has not officially shared any information or evidence with Pakistan in this regard,” the statement added.
Afghani News Agency Pajhwok quoted sources in Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security saying that Pakistan Inter-service intelligence is involved in “plotting” and sending fighters to the battle in Ghazni.
Last Friday, some 1,000 Taliban fighters stormed the city and took control of the main buildings for five days.
Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami claimed after the battle that external elements including Pakistanis fought with the Taliban.
On Friday, the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, visited the city and also said that Pakistani fighters were in Ghazni. He said Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had signed a significant document with Afghanistan. “You have assured me in several phone calls that everything will become normal after the elections in Pakistan. I want answers how Pakistani fighters penetrated Ghazni.”
Bajwa, on Friday, in reply to Ghani’s accusations, said there was no support to any terrorist activity inside Afghanistan from Pakistan.
“The alleged return of injured/dead terrorists from Ghazni is incorrect,” the military media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
“There are scores of Pakistanis working in Afghanistan in connection with various businesses/labor who periodically fall victim to terrorism acts alongside their Afghan brothers inside Afghanistan. Terming such victims as terrorists is unfortunate,” the ISPR statement adds.
Pakistani Army Chief said in a statement that different factions of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan are hiding in many sanctuaries inside Afghanistan under Afghan identities and on becoming injured are transported into Pakistan for medical help.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa said that Afghanistan needs to look inward as the problem resides inside Afghanistan.
“The COAS (Chief of Army Staff) stands by his commitment to the Afghan president for ensuring all measures which could facilitate peace in Afghanistan. However, COAS re-emphasizes that Afghanistan needs to look inward as the problem resides inside Afghanistan,” the ISPR said.
The army chief said the solution thus remains on making substantive progress on Afghan reconciliation efforts as well as on speedy implementation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Stability.
“Pakistan continues to support all initiatives aimed at bringing peace in Afghanistan as there cannot be enduring peace in Pakistan and stability in the region if there is no peace in Afghanistan,” Bajwa said in a statement.
Ghani, in his comments about the Ghazni battle, sent his words to Imran Khan, the newly elected prime minister: “You have received coffins. You being a Pakhtun should probe the matter and give me a reply.”
Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied on Friday the involvement of “foreign fighters” in the Ghazni attack.
