But, on
25th June, 2008, the Afghan government accused the
Pakistani spy agency of a role in the failed attempt to assassinate
Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a military parade in Kabul two
months ago. An Afghan intelligence service spokesman said evidence
collected by investigators and confessions from 16 suspects detained
after the attack show the Pakistani spy agency was involved.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq says such statements
will not help joint efforts to root out terrorism and extremism from the
region.
"These allegations suggest that responsible members in the Afghan
government perhaps wish to re-ignite the blame game. Pakistan rejects
these baseless and irresponsible allegations and the attitude and
proclivity behind them. We hope the Afghan government would adopt
serious attitude and desist from vitiating the atmosphere of bilateral
relations with Pakistan," said Sadiq.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been rising in recent
weeks. Earlier in July, Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened to
send troops into Pakistan to fight Taliban militants responsible for
cross-border attacks.
Taliban insurgents have stepped up attacks in Afghanistan and critics
have questioned the government's ability to maintain law and order in
the country.
Pakistan is being criticized for failing to prevent the spread of
extremist forces on its side of the border and for its attempts to
strike peace deals with Pakistani Taliban in the volatile tribal regions
bordering Afghanistan.
Afghan officials and commanders of the NATO-led forces say those deals
will help militants re-group to launch more cross-border attacks. But
Pakistani officials say they are talking to tribal elders in the hope
they will press the militants to end violence in the under-developed
border regions.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Sadiq defends the Pakistan's policy.
"There is a certain advantage, which will accrue because of those
talks. It will allow the government of Pakistan to engage in the
socio-economic development of the area, and we believe that the use of
force alone cannot resolve this issue," he added. "The
militancy and extremism could be addressed by a three-pronged strategy,
which includes, of course, the presence of troops there and the use of
force, if and when required, but as well as the socio-economic
development and the political dialogue."
The government has deployed tens-of-thousands of soldiers in an effort
to secure the border with Afghanistan in tribal areas that are havens
for al-Qaida and Taliban operatives. But the Islamic fighters have
extended their extremist activities to some of the urban centers in the
northwestern province, which borders Afghanistan.
Police in the troubled Swat Valley said Taliban militants have burned
down a state-run hotel in the country's only ski resort at Malam Jaba.
In separate attacks in the region this week, militants burned down
several schools for girls.
The security situation in the northwestern Pakistani region has been
deteriorating, despite a month-long peace deal between the provincial
government and a pro-Taliban Pakistani cleric, Maulana Fazlullah.
