Afghan President Ashraf Ghani demanded tough action from Pakistan against Afghan Taliban militants in a letter seeking greater anti-terrorism cooperation, after facing strong public criticism over a controversial intelligence-sharing deal between the neighbours.
The spy agencies of both countries this month agreed to trade intelligence and bolster cooperation in their fight against the Taliban, the latest sign of a thaw in once-frosty ties.
The Afghan government played down the significance of the deal, which triggered uproar in parliament and an avalanche of public criticism, with many accusing Ghani’s government of selling out to Pakistan.
In the letter, whose contents were shared by officials with AFP on Sunday, Ghani asked Islamabad’s civilian and military leadership to condemn the Afghan Taliban’s annual spring offensive and reiterated Kabul’s longstanding demand of denying insurgents sanctuary on their side of the border.
The letter also demanded that Pakistan place Taliban leaders in Quetta and Peshawar under house arrest and detain members of the Taliban-allied Haqqani network “responsible for recent terror campaign in Afghanistan”.
The letter comes as the Taliban intensify their annual spring offensive, launched in late April, which has sent civilian casualties soaring.
It marks the first fighting season in which Afghan forces will battle the insurgents without the full support of US-led foreign combat troops.
