Afghan minister says Pakistan fuels proxy war as it fears a developed Afghanistan

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of fueling a proxy war in the country and said that Islamabad fears a developed and self-sufficient Afghanistan.

Quoting the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Afghanistan Times reported that Pakistan has always interfered in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and has continued its proxy war in the country.

"Pakistan fears a self-sufficient, developed and prosperous Afghanistan," Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs Mohibullah Samim told a news conference in Kabul on Tuesday. He further said that Pakistan is still pursuing its interests in Afghanistan and has not changed its approach.

He condemned recent remarks by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi regarding the Durand Line, and said it is against Afghanistan's national interests.

"First of all, I condemn Qureshi for his comment about the Durand Line as it is a clear interference in the affairs of our country. For three decades, Afghanistan has been the victim of Pakistan's proxy war. Everybody knows this war and who is funding it and why," he said.

The publication further reported that Samim brushed off Pakistani foreign minister's remarks that a number of Taliban leaders were in Afghanistan.

He said the Taliban leadership councils are not in Afghanistan, but in different parts of Pakistan, with funding and equipment centers in the country and their wounded are being treated in Pakistan. Samim's remarks came as the Afghan Foreign Ministry said Monday that Pakistan should bring the Taliban to talks instead of taking revenge.

Samim echoed Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib's comments earlier who also accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and calling it a country with no historical honors, which set off a brief diplomatic bedlam between the neighbors.

But Pakistan has always denied the allegations, saying it wants good relations with Afghanistan to ensure the interests of both countries.

Pakistani Foreign Minister's recent interview has provoked a lot of reactions on social media, with Mohsen Davar, a member of Pakistani parliament, calling Shah Mahmood Qureshi the Taliban foreign minister.

( With inputs from ANI )

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