Peace committee coordinator briefs visiting Uzbek media delegation in Lahore, says evidence exists and urges Kabul to act.
LAHORE: Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, coordinator of the Prime Minister’s National Message of Peace Committee, alleged in Lahore on Sunday that the groups he referred to as ‘Fitna al-Hindustan’ and ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ were involved in recent acts of terrorism in Pakistan and were operating from Afghanistan with alleged support from Afghan and Indian elements.
He said evidence and proof were available and that the attacker behind a suicide blast at a mosque in Kohat also belonged to Afghanistan, while describing Afghanistan as a brotherly Islamic country that should act against such groups.
The remarks were made during a meeting with a delegation of Uzbek media representatives at a local hotel, where he also briefed them on the committee’s formation and objectives.
Ashrafi said the group he termed Fitna al-Khawarij was carrying out terrorism against Pakistan while operating from Afghanistan, and that evidence and proof were available — though none was produced at the briefing. He said the attacker who carried out the suicide blast at a mosque in Kohat also belonged to Afghanistan, which said KP police had identified the Kohat Police Lines bomber as an Afghan national. The blast occurred near a mosque inside the police lines, which reconciles the two descriptions of the site.
Pakistani officials have used similar terminology in recent operational accounts, including an intelligence-based operation in Kalat this month. These remain official allegations; the Afghan and Indian governments have consistently rejected such claims, and the evidentiary standard has itself been the subject of debate.
He said Afghanistan was a brotherly Islamic country and should take effective action against groups involved in terrorism against Pakistan. Relations between the two neighbours have been under strain on multiple fronts, including Pakistan’s deportation drive, which has crossed 140,000 Afghan nationals from Punjab alone.
Ashrafi said Pakistan’s position on Palestine and Saudi Arabia was clear and unequivocal, adding that the Pakistani people stood with both, and that the protection and defence of the Holy Mosques was of utmost importance to Pakistan. He briefed the Uzbek delegation on the establishment and objectives of the National Message of Peace Committee, which he said was set up on September 9, 2025, reflecting a vision of mobilising the country’s religious leadership as an effective force for peace, tolerance, national unity and stability.
He said representatives of all religions and schools of thought were included in the committee and that its members had signed the Paigham-e-Pakistan document, with the body aiming to acquaint the public with the teachings of Islam and promote inter-sectarian and interfaith harmony. Other members welcomed the delegation, saying Uzbekistan was a brotherly country and that Uzbek visitors felt at home in Pakistan. The delegation thanked the committee for its hospitality.
Leave a Reply