Joint operation against Fazlullah possible, says Afghan envoy

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal has said a joint operation against TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah could be possible in near future.

In an interview with a private TV channel, the ambassador said Afghanistan could never allow India to use its soil against Pakistan terming such an impression as an insult to the whole Afghan nation.

He expressed the hope that the relations between Islamabad and Kabul would see an improvement despite the current chill in bilateral ties. Hinting at the backchannel efforts for normalisation of relations between the two neighbours, Dr Omar Zakhilwal said the year 2017 will see the relations between the two countries turning warm from cold.

To a question about handing over of Mullah Fazalullah to Pakistan who is hiding somewhere in Afghanistan, he said that he was not a lame duck which the Afghan authorities could hand over to Pakistan. But he said that a joint operation against Fazalullah could be possible.

He, however, demanded of Islamabad to also take action against those militants who were openly roaming around in Pakistan and were engaged in the terrorist attack of heinous nature in Afghanistan. The Afghan envoy stressed the need for more exchanges of culture parliamentarians and traders delegations so that the misunderstandings on both sides could be contained.