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The Member of the Afghan Parliament in exile, Mariam Solaimankhil, on Friday stated that Pakistan has been profiting from the "business of terrorism" and creating proxy groups, including the Taliban, which have now turned against Islamabad amid escalating cross-border clashes between the two countries.
In an interview with ANI amid escalated border clashes and strikes, Solaimankhil slammed Pakistan's recent airstrikes on Afghan soil, describing them as devastating for Afghan families while dismissing Islamabad's repeated claims of targeting terrorists. She noted that no evidence of the killing of any high-profile militants had been reported by Islamabad despite the attack. Solaimankhil further called out Pakistan and its authorities, describing them as "cancer" in the region for their close ties to terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, as well as for harbouring Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. "My own paternal village of Barmal, Paktika was attacked, and this is not the first time. Every time Pakistan does an airstrike, they claim that they're killing terrorists. I've yet to hear one person's name that they've actually killed. But they do sit with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed leaders. They harboured Osama bin Laden. Khawaja Asif admitted he was used by the United States to harbour, train, and support the Taliban. They had the Quetta Shura and the Miramshah Shura," Solaimankhil said. "They created this proxy and made a business out of terrorism. The foundation of Pakistan as a state is based on destabilising the region. They're to blame for all of this. The foundation of Pakistan as a state is based off of destabilising the region. They're to blame for all of this. It's incredibly heartbreaking, but they're the problem in the area. They're the cancer in the region," she added. Solaimankhil further lashed out at Pakistan for the selective impact of the ongoing clashes, highlighting that Afghan Pashtuns and Baloch are bearing the brunt of the fighting, while Punjabis in Pakistan remain largely unaffected. She also described the ongoing conflict as financially beneficial to Pakistan, suggesting it could leverage the situation to request international financial aid. "I don't believe that full ISI is against the Taliban. I think that the roots are very deep. I do believe that, why isn't one Taliban dead? Please show me one leader of the Taliban that's gone. It's not. Where is the fighting happening? It's happening in Pashtun areas. Pashtuns and Baloch are dying. Do you see one Punjabi dying? No, God forbid. I'm not a proponent of war, but I only see the war happening in Afghan areas. So it's incredibly sad and I think the story is a lot more twisted than it seems," she said. "The Taliban was created by Pakistan and who's benefiting from this war financially? It's Pakistan. They're going to go beg for an IMF loan and go ask for more handouts because they started this skirmish. It's disgusting. It's incredibly sad," the exiled member added. Her comments come amid escalating tensions along the Durand Line, following airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia by Pakistan, with both countries reporting casualties and accusing each other of aggression. (ANI)
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