pakistani342
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Picture of the news conference -- full court press -- the guy on the right is the NDS chief who refused to sign the MOU, Rahmatullah Nabil (oh and he was educated at UET Peshawar -- lol) the guy who is second from the left is the Afghan NSA Hanif Atmar (he lost one of his legs fighting as a commando against the Mujahideen in the 1980s -- but considered levelheaded).
Article here, excerpts below:
In the wake of alarmingly deteriorating security situation across the country, President Ashraf Ghani addressed a hurriedly convened press conference in Kabul on Monday afternoon.
Flanked by many senior officials of the national unity government and security agencies, President Ghani looked visibly troubled over what he called “significant developments” over the past few days.
Under fire from the civil society for adopting soft approach towards Pakistan, President Ghani sought to answer many questions regarding relations between Kabul and Islamabad and the ongoing peace process.
...
“Our enemies had been waiting for a power vacuum so they could take advantage of and see the government collapse. However, none of the gloomy predictions turned to reality,” President Ghani said, recalling how some doomsayers had warned that the government will not sustain beyond few days.
...
“The enemy who was fighting to gain some territory and to claim a victory has now had its backbone broken. It is so desperate now that it has turned to cowardly attacks against innocent people just to weaken people’s morale,” President Ghani affirmed.
...
“Just as the incident in Peshawar and the killing of hundreds of innocent children in a school became a turning point in Pakistan, the recent incidents in Kabul and other provinces are no less and we call it a turning point for Afghanistan,” President Ghani said.
The government of Afghanistan, he emphasized, made “all sincere efforts for peace” but the efforts have not been reciprocated in letter and spirit.
“The decisions that Pakistani government will be making in the next few weeks will be significant to affect bilateral relations for the next decades,” President Ghani said.
“The security of our people and the national interests of Afghanistan lay the basis of our relationship with Pakistan. We can no longer tolerate to see our people bleeding in a war exported and imposed on us from outside,” he hastened to add.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his telephonic conversation with President Ghani on Monday, pledged to direct his government “to chart out an action plan against terrorism” and discuss its implementation during a visit by an Afghan delegation on coming Thursday, he said.
“We hoped for peace, but war is declared against us from Pakistani territory; this in fact puts into display clear hostility against a neighboring country,” President Ghani said.
“I ask the government and people of Pakistan to imagine that a terrorist attack just like the one in Kabul’s Shah Shahid area took place in Islamabad and the groups behind it had sanctuaries in Afghanistan and ran offices and training centers in our big cities, what would have been your reaction? Will you have looked at us as friends or enemies,” he said.
...
He concluded by saying that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are“based on our national interests”, of which security and safety of Afghans is paramount.
“If our people continue to be killed, relations lose meaning and I hope it will not happen,” President Ghani warned.
Article here, excerpts below:
In the wake of alarmingly deteriorating security situation across the country, President Ashraf Ghani addressed a hurriedly convened press conference in Kabul on Monday afternoon.
Flanked by many senior officials of the national unity government and security agencies, President Ghani looked visibly troubled over what he called “significant developments” over the past few days.
Under fire from the civil society for adopting soft approach towards Pakistan, President Ghani sought to answer many questions regarding relations between Kabul and Islamabad and the ongoing peace process.
...
“Our enemies had been waiting for a power vacuum so they could take advantage of and see the government collapse. However, none of the gloomy predictions turned to reality,” President Ghani said, recalling how some doomsayers had warned that the government will not sustain beyond few days.
...
“The enemy who was fighting to gain some territory and to claim a victory has now had its backbone broken. It is so desperate now that it has turned to cowardly attacks against innocent people just to weaken people’s morale,” President Ghani affirmed.
...
“Just as the incident in Peshawar and the killing of hundreds of innocent children in a school became a turning point in Pakistan, the recent incidents in Kabul and other provinces are no less and we call it a turning point for Afghanistan,” President Ghani said.
The government of Afghanistan, he emphasized, made “all sincere efforts for peace” but the efforts have not been reciprocated in letter and spirit.
“The decisions that Pakistani government will be making in the next few weeks will be significant to affect bilateral relations for the next decades,” President Ghani said.
“The security of our people and the national interests of Afghanistan lay the basis of our relationship with Pakistan. We can no longer tolerate to see our people bleeding in a war exported and imposed on us from outside,” he hastened to add.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his telephonic conversation with President Ghani on Monday, pledged to direct his government “to chart out an action plan against terrorism” and discuss its implementation during a visit by an Afghan delegation on coming Thursday, he said.
“We hoped for peace, but war is declared against us from Pakistani territory; this in fact puts into display clear hostility against a neighboring country,” President Ghani said.
“I ask the government and people of Pakistan to imagine that a terrorist attack just like the one in Kabul’s Shah Shahid area took place in Islamabad and the groups behind it had sanctuaries in Afghanistan and ran offices and training centers in our big cities, what would have been your reaction? Will you have looked at us as friends or enemies,” he said.
...
He concluded by saying that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are“based on our national interests”, of which security and safety of Afghans is paramount.
“If our people continue to be killed, relations lose meaning and I hope it will not happen,” President Ghani warned.