Off the wire
• China rejects U.S. criticism of South China Sea activities  • 15 arrested in anti-corruption operation in Valencia  • Didi Kuaidi, China Merchants Bank announce partnership  • Chinese nuclear firm named world's 5th largest  • Nearly 3 bln USD needed to assist children this year: UNICEF  • Tourism nights in EU peak at 2.8 bln in 2015  • Roundup: Afghan battle claims 38 lives including 10 police within day  • King's Cup quarter-final return legs to kick off in Spain  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- Jan. 26  • China-Latin America culture year to be launched in March  
You are here: 　 Home

Pakistan summons Afghan envoy over "use of soil" for attacks

Xinhua, January 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

Pakistan has summoned Afghan envoy to share concerns over the use of Afghan territory for attacks in the country, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Pakistan military said the recent attack on a university that killed 21 people, mostly students, was controlled by Pakistani Taliban commanders in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said at the weekend that "rogue elements" in Afghanistan are involved in terrorists activities in Pakistan. He however said Islamabad does not blame the Afghan government.

"The Afghan Charge d'Affaires, Syed Abdul Nasir Yousafi was called to the Foreign Office yesterday to convey Pakistan's concern regarding the use of Afghan soil by certain terrorist elements in the recent terrorist attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsada on January 20," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"He was told that investigations have revealed that handlers of this terrorist act were operating from Afghan territory and used Afghan telecommunication network for planning and executing this attack. In this regard, the relevant details have already been shared with the Afghan side," the statement said.

Afghan authorities have reported rejected the Pakistani statements.

Pakistan Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, spoke to the Afghan President, the Afghan chief executive and the commander of the foreign forces a day after the attack and told them that a Pakistani Taliban commander controlled the attack.

A dreaded Taliban leader, Omar Mansoor, had claimed responsibility for the attack in a video message. The all four attackers also appeared in the video. Mansoor was also behind the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in December 2014 that had killed 150 people, nearly all students.

"The government of Afghanistan was urged to take action against the perpetrators of this heinous act of terrorism and extend cooperation to Pakistani authorities to bring them to justice at the earliest possible," the Pakistani foreign ministry said. Enditem