Afghan President Blames Pakistan for Fueling Terrorism Amid Kabul Attacks

Following the recent wave of bomb blasts in Kabul, which killed dozens, the leader of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, lambasted Pakistan for the first time Monday for “sending messages of war” and backing the insurgents by allowing their military camps on its grounds, Agence France Press reported.

“The last few days have shown that suicide bomber training camps and bomb-producing factories which are killing our people are as active as before in Pakistan,” the president told reporters.

Adding to this, Ghani noticed that Pakistan has failed to channel the militants’ leaders toward the long-awaited peace talks between the Afghan authorities and the Taliban fighters, while the level of militant violence is at an all-time high.

“We hoped for peace but we are receiving messages of war from Pakistan… We can no longer see our people bleeding in a war that is exported from outside,” he said.

Since coming into power less than a year ago, the Afghan President has repeatedly criticized Islamabad for its longstanding support for the Taliban militants. Now, Ghani declared his decision to abandon the Pakistan-mediated peace talks.

“The peace and reconciliation will be done by the state of Afghanistan alone, according to its own ways and mechanism,” he stated. “We do not want Pakistan to bring the Taliban to peace talks, but want Pakistan to stop activities on its soil of those who are waging the rebellion against Afghanistan.”

In response to the sharp accusations, Pakistan released a statement which underscores that it strongly condemns the wave of terrorist attacks.

“Having been the biggest victim of terrorism itself… Pakistan can feel the pain and anguish of the brotherly people… of Afghanistan,” a government statement said.

Security in Afghanistan has become especially fragile following the withdrawal of NATO forces in December 2014 and an ensuing spring offensive by militants, including the Taliban and the Islamic State (ISIL).

US-led NATO combat forces withdrew from Afghanistan in December 2014 following a 13-year-long presence. On January 2, 2015, their combat operations in the country gave way to a NATO non-combat training and support mission for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), dubbed Resolute Support.

A series of terrorist attacks across the country has claimed the lives of several hundred people in 2015. On July 7, peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government began in Pakistan. The second round of negotiations, scheduled for July 31, was suspended following Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s death.