Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday denied any involvement in the deadly suicide car bomb attack on the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul.
Gilani said it was not in Pakistan’s interest to destabilise Afghanistan and vowed to fight terrorism with an “iron fist”, saying his country had suffered more than any other from the scourge.
“Why should Pakistan destabilise Afghanistan, because it is in our interest (to have) a stable Afghanistan and we want stability in the region,” he told reporters at the D8 summit of developing nations.
Gilani said he had no idea who was behind the attack, which was the deadliest in the Afghan capital since the 2001 fall of the Taliban — but firmly denied Pakistan was involved.
When asked who might be responsible for the suicide blast, he said: “Maybe there are those who want to destabilise the region and those who are a threat (to the world).”
Afghanistan has repeatedly accused Pakistan’s intelligence agencies of supporting the Taliban. Islamabad backed the hardline regime during its 1996-2001 rule but denies any current links to the militia.
“The world is facing today the menace of extremism and terrorism which has affected our socioeconomic development,” he said. “Pakistan has suffered the most due to this curse,” he added, pointing to the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto last year. “However, such cowardly acts will never dampen our firm resolve to fight terrorism and extremism with an iron fist.”
{{/usCountry}}“The world is facing today the menace of extremism and terrorism which has affected our socioeconomic development,” he said. “Pakistan has suffered the most due to this curse,” he added, pointing to the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto last year. “However, such cowardly acts will never dampen our firm resolve to fight terrorism and extremism with an iron fist.”
{{/usCountry}}