Pakistan conveys its serious concern to Afghan side over 'irresponsible statements and baseless allegations' made by Afghan leadership

Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to Afghanistan over the recent irresponsible statements and baseless allegations made by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

In an interview, Ghani said, "It is first and foremost a matter of getting Pakistan on board. The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands."

He further said that 'Pakistan operates an organized system of support'. "The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there," Ghani said. The president also said that Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa told him that dictatorship by the Taliban was not in anybody’s interest in the region, especially Pakistan.

"However, he said, some of the lower levels in the army still hold the opposite opinion in certain cases. It is primarily a question of political will," the president said.

In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Office said that 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 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." FO statement said.