PM Imran's remarks on Afghanistan 'not insulting': Taliban FM responds to Hamid Karzai

20 Dec, 2021

Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Monday that former president Hamid Karzai's statement criticising Prime Minister Imran Khan for linking the prevalent situation in the war-torn country to corruption by previous governments, was not insulting.

"I do not see anything insulting about Imran Khan's remarks that needs an official response,” Muttaqi told reporters in Kabul on Monday.

Afghanistan could become biggest man-made crisis if world doesn’t act, says PM Imran at OIC summit

"What's of significance is that Imran Khan slammed former Afghan governments and I believe that officials from the past governments were compelled to show some reaction," the foreign minister said.

While addressing the 17th extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Council (OIC) of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad on Sunday, Prime Minister Imran had said that Pakistan faced the threat of the militant Islamic State (IS) group from Afghan soil.

Responding to the premier's remarks, Karzai described the comments as "an attempt to sow discord among Afghans, and an insult to the Afghan people".

“Pakistan should avoid speaking on behalf of Afghanistan [on] international forums. It should work towards creating positive and civilised relations between the two countries," Karzai said in a Twitter post.

"The threat of ISIS has been directed from Pakistan against Afghanistan from the very onset," he added.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday that Afghanistan could potentially become the biggest "man-made crisis in the world" if the international community did not act now.

Read Comments