Pak Using Taliban For Sway in Afghanistan: Afghan Ex-Intel Chief

Afghan’s former head of intelligence Amrullah Saleh called Pakistan the “first home” to Taliban.

Afghan vice presidential candidate and former head of intelligence Amrullah Saleh.

(Photo Courtesy: AmrullahSaleh2/Twitter)

Afghan vice presidential candidate and former head of intelligence, Amrullah Saleh has claimed that neighbouring country Pakistan is using Taliban to influence the situation in Afghanistan.

Contesting the election as a member of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's team, Saleh, in an email interview to Hindustan Times, said that Pakistan is using Taliban “through terrorism and violence.” He also called Pakistan the “first home” to Taliban and said that they never came under pressure in their first home even after being defeated in Afghanistan.

“Sometimes they are provided with special flights arranged by Pakistan Air Force,” he told Hindustan Times on Taliban flying to Qatar capital from Karachi or Islamabad.

Blaming Pakistan of trying to install a puppet clerical regime in Kabul, Saleh commented on Khan's statement on the need of interim government to help with peace talks.

“The call of (Pakistan) Prime Minister Imran Khan for an interim set up is thus aimed to derail the Aghan constituional order. Contrary to their rhetoric the Pakistani establishment sees its interest in chaos in Afghanistan. The statement of PM Khan was just an outburst of a covert policy going on for years.”

Amrullah Saleh, Afghan vice presidential candidate

However, Saleh said that Afghanistan's aim is to have a normal and a friendly relationship with Pakistan which is not the current state of the two nations.

Rather, the main focus between the two countries, according to him, should be on trade, people-to people relationship, energy, connectivity, mutual respect and mutual interest.

“Pakistan is seen as a hostile state sponsoring the Taliban and other terrorist outfits who destabilise Afghanistan and have caused so much bloodshed and destruction.”

Amrullah Saleh, Afghan vice presidential candidate

On Sunday, 31 March, Afghanistan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum escaped unhurt after a Taliban attack that killed one of his bodyguards. This news came a day after over 30 people, including civilians and security forces, were killed in separate Taliban attacks on security checkpoints across Afghanistan.

Talking on China's move of blocking UN vote to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, Saleh said “whether China does or doesn’t see him as a terrorist, he is a terrorist.”

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)