Afghanistan should decide if it’s willing to live in peace or not, says Shehbaz

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Afghanistan should decide if it was willing to live in peace or not, amid strained ties between the two countries following last year's deadly border clashes.

Addressing a national workshop here, PM Shehbaz also talked about the suspension of trade between the two countries and alleged failure of Kabul to stop militants from using its soil.

“This time, it must be decided whether Afghanistan wants to live peacefully or not. They are our brothers and sisters. If the interim Afghan government does not have an interest in this (peace with Pakistan), they should at least have mercy on its people and not oppress them,” he said.

He blamed the Afghan government for the suspension of trade between the two sides, saying Kabul’s failure to act against terrorists operating from its soil was the reason.

“There is a complete blockade of Pak-Afghan trade. It should not have been there, but they forced us,” the premier said. Pakistan closed down the border for trade after deadly clashes with Afghanistan in October last year, and several rounds of talks failed to improve ties.

Shehbaz said more than four million Afghan refugees lived and prospered by doing business in Pakistan, but the Taliban government failed to cherish the hospitality shown towards its people.