Pakistan expresses ‘serious concern’ days after Ghani alleges Taliban’s ‘deep’ ties with Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Monday it had conveyed its “serious concerns” to Afghanistan over what it called “irresponsible statements and baseless allegations made by the Afghan leadership.”
The statement from the foreign office was a veiled reference to an interview last week by President Ashraf Ghani in which he said Pakistan operated “an organized system of support” for the Afghan Taliban.
“Pakistan has emphasized that groundless accusations erode trust and vitiate the environment between the two brotherly countries and disregard constructive role being played by Pakistan in facilitating the Afghan peace process,” the foreign office said. “The Afghan side has been urged to effectively utilize the available forums like Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) to address all bilateral issues.”
The Kabul government and Taliban representatives began negotiations in September last year to find a way to end decades of war. But the talks stalled after a few rounds and violence has escalated since the United States started a final pullout of troops from Afghanistan on May 1.
Afghanistan and the United States are both relying on what they say is Pakistan’s ‘influence’ over the Taliban to keep the insurgent group engaged in peace talks.
“Pakistan operates an organized system of support. The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there,” Ghani said in an interview to Der Spiegel on May 14. “The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shoura, Miramshah Shoura and Peshawar Shoura – named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state.”