Pakistan has failed in war on terror: Khalili

KABUL of failing in the international war on terrorism and defending its citizens, particularly members of the minority communities.

Khalili was addressing 50 Hazara tribesmen who have been on a hunger strike since Tuesday against the killing of 81 Shiites in a massive bomb attack in the Pakistani city of Quetta. More than 200 people were injured in the sectarian attack.

Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ), a small militant group in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the assault that prompted Islamabad to launch a crackdown on the outfit. The group had also claimed the January 2013 bombings that killed 125 people.

Khalili called LJ the enemy of humanity, saying they had no complaint about the banned group, because the Pakistan government was reluctant to swoop on it. He visited the striking individuals to share his grief with the Pakistan-based Hazaras who lost their loved ones in the attack.

The VP alleged Pakistan, despite having strong intelligence and security agencies, had long been unwilling to protect civilians from being murdered. He asked Islamabad to stop terrorists from killing the minority.

The VP said the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan would be visiting relatives of the victims in Quetta to extend financial support to them.

Kazim Wahidi, who leads the strikers, said they wanted the United Nations to blacklist LJ. Another striker, Zahra Sepaher, said: “Our protest will continue until our demands are met.” She asked the Afghan government to avoid hampering civil society activities.

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