Afghanistan rejects claim its national was involved in Bisham attack – World

The Afghan Defense Ministry on Wednesday rejected Pakistan’s claim that the plan to kill five Chinese engineers in the Bisham attack was hatched in Afghanistan.

The statement comes a day after Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Ahmed Sharif said that the planning for the attack was done in Afghanistan and the suicide bomber was also an Afghan national.

“Terrorists and their supporters were also controlled from Afghanistan and the suicide bomber was also an Afghan citizen,” the ISPR director general had said.

He had also listed other terrorist incidents, including by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which he said continued from Afghan soil despite repeated complaints to the neighboring country’s rulers.

The suicide bombing on March 26 killed five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver when their bus was attacked in the town of Bisham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district. They were traveling between Islamabad and a dam construction site in the Dasu KP area.

The attack had prompted China to demand a thorough investigation into the deadly explosion and safety for its citizens. In response, Islamabad had announced a rapid investigation to bring the “perpetrators and accomplices” to book. After a joint investigation team was formed to probe the incident, action was ordered against five senior police officials.

No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on Chinese nationals.

In a statement released today, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi called the claims “irresponsible and far from reality.”

He said blaming Afghanistan for such incidents was a “failed attempt to divert attention from the truth,” adding that the killing of Chinese citizens in an area “under tight security protection by the Pakistan Army shows weakness.” of the Pakistani security authorities.” .

“The Islamic Emirate has assured China on this matter and the country has also understood that Afghans are not involved in such matters,” the spokesman said.

He claimed that members of the Islamic State militant group “entered Afghanistan from Pakistan.”

“We have a lot of evidence that Daesh (IS) entered Afghanistan from Pakistani territory and that Pakistani territory was used against us, for which Pakistan should be held responsible,” Khwarazmi said.

He added that Kabul believes that Pakistan’s stability and security is in the interest of Afghanistan and the region and believes in the “brotherhood and good relations between the people of both nations.”

Some experts believe public accusations from Pakistani and Afghan officials will further complicate the situation.

Former Pakistani Ambassador Ayaz Wazir said a public blame game would increase mistrust and further deteriorate relations.

“Both governments should have diverse discussions and explore ways to solve problems. Pakistan should clearly express its concern over the TTP presence in Afghanistan and also pay attention to the concerns of the other side,” Wazir said Dawn.com.

Wazir served as Pakistan’s consul general in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and was part of a negotiating team between the Afghan Taliban and then-opposition leader Ahmad Shah Masoud in the 1990s.

He further said Pakistan should not blame the Afghan government for incidents in Pakistan and should focus on security issues.

The oral argument between officials from both countries shows the growing distrust between the two countries despite multiple channels of communication, including a joint border coordination committee to review security issues.