KABUL - Presidential Candidate Mohammad Hanif Atmar on Tuesday hit back at Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan over his comment regarding interim setup in Afghanistan by saying the people of Afghanistan could decide the future of government and politics.
“Recent statement attributed to PM Imran Khan of Pakistan is a willful interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Afghanistan is a sovereign nation & the Afghan people, not the leader of a neighboring country, can decide the future of government and politics in our country,” he said
“Our position about the formation of a caretaker govt post 21st of May 2019 is strictly a domestic matter, based on a legitimate national concern & fully consistent with our constitution. Regardless of any foreign inference, we will continue to pursue this policy,” Atmar said in a tweet.
Atmar on the behalf of his election Peace and Moderation team condemned the inappropriate statement by Prime Minister of Pakistan and called on Pakistan to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty and abide by internationally accepted norms of state behavior when it comes to relation between the two countries.
Atmar also expressed disappointed by remarks by ex-colleagues showing grave lapse of judgment. “Our team’s past record of sacrifice for our country’s independence speaks for itself. We’ve always stood & fought on the right side of history and shall continue to do so in future,” he said.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday suggested an interim setup in Afghanistan as a possible solution to an apparent impasse in the ongoing peace process, while blaming the Afghan government for the stalemate in talks, Pakistan's Express Tribune said in a report.
According to the report, the suggestion came during Khan’s interaction with journalists at his office in Islamabad on Monday. (Pajhwok)