FM Qureshi condemns Kabul attack, says peace is the only choice

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday condemned the Kabul attack on Afghanistan leader Abdullah Abdullah, saying that those who wanted to sabotage peace were responsible for the attack.

"Those who want to use Afghanistan for their objectives don't want to see peace in the country," he said. Qureshi said that the attack will test everyone's patience but that peace was the only solution to the conflict.

Referring to the Kabul attack as condemnable and disappointing, the foreign minister said that Afghanis have been living in difficult conditions over the past 19 years.

The foreign minister pledged Pakistan’s support in whatever assistance it can provide.

Twenty-seven people were reportedly killed and 29 were wounded when a political rally led by Afghanistan leader Abdullah Abdullah was attacked by gunmen.

The Taliban immediately denied responsibility for the assault, which occurred at the commemoration ceremony for Abdul Ali Mazari — a politician from the Hazara ethnic group.

Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said gunfire had erupted from a construction site near the ceremony in the city’s west.

The ceremony was attended by many of the country’s political elite, including Abdullah Abdullah. The interior ministry later confirmed to reporters that "all the high-ranking officials were safely evacuated from the scene".

The incident comes less than a week after the US and Taliban signed a deal that would pave the way for the complete withdrawal of foreign troops in 14 months.

However, fighting has continued to rage across the country, casting a pall over hopes that the agreement would lead to a reduction in violence.