The Taliban on Thursday said the India-Pakistan rift over Jammu and Kashmir should not be linked with the situation in Afghanistan.
"Linking the issue of Kashmir with that of Afghanistan by some parties will not aid in improving the crisis at hand because the issue of Afghanistan is not related nor should Afghanistan be turned into the theatre of competition between other countries," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in a statement, reported Anadolu news agency.
Taliban also urged India and Pakistan to refrain from taking steps that could pave a way for "violence and complications" in the region.
#Taliban talking like a govt., advise restraint for India & Pakistan, & tell Pakistan not to link #Kashmir & #Afghanistan issues. pic.twitter.com/1uIoxDGyTj
— Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) August 8, 2019
The remarks came after Pakistan's opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif drew comparison between Kashmir and Afghanistan in Parliament and said, "What kind of a deal is this that the Afghans enjoy and celebrate peace in Kabul, but in Kashmir, blood is shed? No, this is not acceptable for us."
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul on Thursday clarified that the India-Pakistan rift over Kashmir would not affect the peace drive in Afghanistan.
Addressing a news conference, Zahid Nasrullah Khan, ambassador of Pakistan, said: "The issue of Kashmir has nothing to do with the violence in Afghanistan and it is unfortunately still unresolved, despite the so many sacrifices and acts of human rights abuses against the people of Jammu and Kashmir."
Statement by Taliban on Kashmir. It’s funny as it calls for restraint, non violence between India & Pak. And it tells Pak not link Kashmir to Afg. Matlab ab Taliban ne bhi Pak ka saath nahi diya. pic.twitter.com/HAeHZqSIno
— Yusuf Unjhawala 🇮🇳 (@YusufDFI) August 8, 2019
The Indian government on Monday revoked special status of Jammu and Kashmir, inviting an angry reaction from Pakistan which has taken several steps to severe diplomatic ties between nations and also expelled the Indian envoy.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has said that a new 15-member government-led team, consisting of politicians, civil rights activists and representatives of ethnic groups, will soon "meet face to face" with the Taliban, seeking to achieve lasting peace in the war-torn country.