‘Islamabad in declared war against Kabul’

Kabul: Promises of reconciliation efforts notwithstanding, Pakistan has entered into a declared war against Afghanistan, media reports here cited a top Kabul minister as having said. Acting Defence Minister Masoom Stanekzai blamed Pakistan for sheltering top Taliban militants, who have repeatedly attacked Afghanistan, TOLO News reported on Wednesday. Allegiances are being promised to Taliban’s new leader in open meetings (in Pakistan), and they are continuing their war in such meetings,” Stanekzai said. “They also claimed responsibility for the biggest attack that recently took place in Kabul, which clearly indicates an undeclared war has turned into a declared one,” the minister added. The statement came after reports emerged that Taliban’s senior members were holding open meetings in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to discuss appointment of a successor to the group’s late leader Mullah Omar, whose death was confirmed last month.