Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government, responded to statements made by Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar regarding cross-border attacks. Taliban spokesperson emphasized that while the Afghan government does not permit the use of Afghan soil against Pakistan, the responsibility for establishing peace within Pakistan does not lie with Afghanistan.
PM Kakar earlier stated that terrorist attacks in Pakistan have increased by 60% since the Taliban-led government took control of Afghanistan two years ago. He mentioned that 15 Afghan citizens were involved in these attacks.
Mujahid argued that Pakistan should address its domestic issues and refrain from attributing its challenges to Afghanistan. He clarified that the increase in attacks following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan does not imply Afghanistan’s involvement in those attacks. He also assured that weapons in Afghanistan are under secure control, weapon smuggling has been prohibited, and unlawful activities have been curtailed.
Mujahid expressed Afghanistan’s desire for good relations with Pakistan as a neighbor and brotherly country. He urged the other party to acknowledge Afghanistan’s goodwill. Additionally, he stressed that the Afghan government is committed to preventing the use of its soil for infiltration into other countries, and Pakistan should not doubt this resolve.
PTI Presents 24-Point Charter of Demands to ECP Ahead of General Elections
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf presented its 24-point Charter of Demands (CoD) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The CoD requests that the watchdog guarantee free, fair, and transparent general elections and grant the party equal playing fields so that it can freely conduct its campaign in the lead-up to the polls on February 8.
The legal team of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), consisting of Barrister Ali Zafar, Gohar Ali Khan, and Dr. Babar Awan, presented a Charter of Demands (CoD) to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, during a 45-minute meeting.
During the meeting, the PTI delegation expressed their concerns regarding the upcoming elections and highlighted the “obstacles” faced during their election campaign. PTI spokesperson Barrister Gohar Ali urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to release the long-pending written decision on PTI’s petitions filed on October 18 and 30 concerning the party’s electoral symbol, the ‘bat,’ to eliminate prevailing uncertainty.
He called on the ECP to promptly allocate the electoral symbol “bat” to PTI, ensuring a level playing field. Gohar Ali shared that the CEC has assured them that the “bat” was PTI’s electoral symbol and would appear on the ballot paper in the upcoming elections, hoping that the ECP would resolve the issue within the next two days.
The PTI’s Charter of Demands also included the release and recovery of “kidnapped” and arrested PTI workers and leaders. Barrister Ali noted that PTI was facing difficulties in holding public gatherings, rallies, and corner meetings on private premises, as their requests for public meetings were either delayed or denied. Additionally, PTI was not allowed to print its flags and banners, further hindering its election campaign.
