Kayani used “threatening language” in Brussels: official

KABUL‘s army chief, Gen. Pervez Kayani, used “threatening language” during his talks with President Hamid Karzai in Brussels last week, a senior official alleged on Monday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who hosted the talks, said they had a very extensive and a very productive and constructive dialogue. “But we have all agreed that results are what will tell the story, not statements at a press conference,” Kerry told reporters after the talks.

Kayani warned the war season in Afghanistan spring offensive, Kayani wanted to mount pressure on Karzai,” he added.

“During the meeting, aimed defusing bilateral tension, Gen. Kayani’s attitude was palpably aggressive,” said the official, who also attended the Brussels talks.

“We have long been feeling the US and Pakistan are promoting the same agenda in Afghanistan,” he remarked, saying Islamabad did not want a strong government in Kabul and the US sought to use a weak Afghan administration to protect its own interests in the region.

The Taliban have announced the launch of their spring offensive, signalling plans to step up attacks across the nation. The rebels vowed on Saturday “every possible tactic will be utilised in order to detain or inflict heavy casualties on the foreign transgressors,” including suicide attacks on military bases and diplomatic areas.

In the Belgian capital on Wednesday, Kerry hosted the meeting between Karzai and Kayani and senior Foreign Secretary Jalil Jilani to calm tensions over border disputes and the stalled peace process.

Kabul has grown increasingly frustrated with Islamabad over efforts to pursue a peace process involving the Taliban. Kabul suggests Islamabad is intent on keeping Afghanistan unstable until foreign combat forces leave at the end of 2014.

The meeting followed weeks of tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan over their 2,600-km border and stalled peace efforts.

Afghan officials allege the Pakistan military continues to shell Afghan villages in eastern parts and had recently constructed new installations along the shared frontier by acting unilaterally.

ma/mud

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