Nawaz's meeting with Afghan NSA causes controversy

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry Saturday said the meeting between Nawaz Sharif and the delegation comprising Afghan National Security Adviser (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib has damaged Islamabad's security doctrine.

Addressing a press conference alongside Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar in Islamabad, the minister stated that the NSA has links with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had always raised issues for Pakistan.

While raising questions, he said "When two or three, who have started following the extremist ideology of Modi, meet Nawaz, then this is suspicious and damages our security doctrine".

In a public speech two months back, Mohib had not only repeated his allegations about Islamabad "not wanting to work with a Pashtun leader in Afghanistan" but called Pakistan a "brothel house." While briefing, the minister expressed his shock over Nawaz meeting the delegation and said that Mohib and Afghanistan vice president Amrullah Saleh do not have much stake in their country.

"It is Amrullah Saleh's ploy to defame Pakistan and we have also made it clear that Pakistan would not hold any talks with Afghanistan's national security adviser [Mohib]," he added.

Fawad Chaudhry said the Afghan adviser had also met Indian intelligence officials after his meeting with Nawaz Sharif. He said that when the Afghan official had issued anti-Pakistan remarks in May, Islamabad had cut off ties with his office.

Fawad Chaudhry further said he could not repeat the words Mohib had used for Pakistan. Islamabad only stands with people of Afghanistan and not with any selected group as we want a government in Afghanistan that is acceptable to every group, he added.

"We have terminated all communications with Afghanistan national security adviser's office," demanding that the official audio clips of the meeting must be made public.

He said PML-N should issue a clarification on it, adding that when the Afghan official had issued anti-Pakistan remarks in May, Islamabad had cut off ties with his office. He said Nawaz Sharif had a history of controversial meetings, while adding that Pakistan is already facing controversies at diplomatic front.

The minister also wondered if the PML-N's central executive committee knew about this meeting. He also demanded audio transcript of the meeting should be made public. On the occasion, Akbar said the Israeli NSO Group's spyware scandal was much bigger than Panama leaks.

The adviser said that Pakistan's sovereignty was compromised by this incident, which the government was ready to protect. Akbar said the government was considering options on how to raise the matter in the European Union and the United Nations.

"We will also launch an inter-agency investigation into it," he added.

The adviser said the Federal Investigation Agency, Foreign Office, and other institutions would launch a probe into the matter, and following that, Pakistan would seek legal action against India.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021