KABUL - Chief Executive of the National Unity Government (NUG), Abdullah Abdullah, on Monday said there has been no sign of Pakistan's cooperation regarding Afghanistan's war on terror nor with peace talks initiatives in recent months.
He told a session of the Council of Ministers (CoM) that Pakistani officials say that Afghanistan's enemy is Pakistan's enemy, but asked what enemy commits crimes here and then holds meetings in Pakistan.
On the subject of the Taliban's recent meetings in Pakistan, he said such acts do not leave Pakistan in a good light and instead shows up their insincerity.
"As the Chief Executive of the NUG, I don't have any words or sentences that proves there is cooperation by Pakistan with us," Abdullah said.
"They said that Afghanistan's enemy is Pakistan's enemy. Which kind of enemy is this that they allow to commit crimes here and then hold meetings there," he asked.
"There are traitors in this nation which are living in the situation which has been created for them by the Afghan security forces. People of Afghanistan are living here and are defending crimes in this country," he said adding that we have to act against them.
He said that all matters relating to peace needs to be reassessed. "Our good will towards the Taliban – and those who are supporting them – should not be considered as a sign of our weakness," the Chief Executive said.
Mohammad Natiqi, one of the government's representatives in the first round of peace talks in Murree, Pakistan, also questioned the sincerity of Pakistan towards the peace process, and said "unfortunately Pakistan is not sincere in helping Afghanistan. And the Taliban are using peace talks as a toy".
Afghan officials believe that the holding of meetings by the Taliban to appoint their new leader is not acceptable, and that the Taliban's war has no legitimacy in Afghanistan.
Abdullah's comments come after senior members of the Taliban reportedly held open meetings in Pakistan on Wednesday to discuss the disputed appointment of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as the group's new chief in the wake Mullah Omar's death.
This was sparked by the dispute between Taliban leaders after several expressed strong opposition to Mansour's leadership, calling him a puppet of Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).
Sources within the Afghan government told TOLOnews on condition of anonymity on Thursday however that scores of Taliban members - including both those who agree and disagree with Mansour's appointment - met with clerics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on Wednesday to resolve the dispute over Omar's successor. (Tolonews)