Mohammad Alam Ezadyar, the deputy speaker of Mishrano Jirga (Upper House of Parliament) said Saturday’s deadly attack at his son’s funeral was plotted by the Taliban on the orders of Pakistan, in collusion with certain elements within the system.
The statement comes a day after acting minister of foreign affairs Salahuddin Rabbani said he will soon announce his position regarding terrorists operating within the system.
“We will soon announce our position towards terrorists within the system and on holding them accountable at a national level,” Rabbani wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday – just a few hours after three suicide bombers detonated explosives at his son’s funeral ceremony in Kabul. The back-to-back bombings killed at least 20 people and wounded over 80 others.
Meanwhile, sources within Jamiat-e-Islami party have said that Jamiat leaders refused an invitation by President Ashraf Ghani to discuss the attack on the funeral.
At the time, high-ranking officials including CEO Abdullah Abdullah were present.
CEO Under Pressure After Funeral Attack
Meanwhile, Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor has asked Abdullah to decide whether his is with ARG (the Presidential Palace) or the people.
The CEO must decide whether he remains with the people or with those who are shooting the people, Noor said.
Just hours after the funeral attack, Jamiat convened an emergency meeting.
However the details of the meeting have not yet been disclosed, but Noor said on his Facebook page that a ten-member delegation has been assigned to talk with the CEO and to ask him whether he is on the side of the Presidential Palace or on the people’s side.
The National Directorate of Security said earlier Sunday that there had been four suicide bombers – three had detonated their explosives while a fourth had been arrested, they said.
However, Jamiat leadership is blaming terrorists from within the system of plotting the attack at the funeral. Ezadyar goes further and said the Taliban conspired with Pakistan over the attack.
“There is no doubt it is the work of the Taliban and elements which are in contact with the Taliban who are led by Pakistan and every day they target our people,” said Ezadyar.
“The enemies of unity, pride and dignity of the people of Afghanistan who are getting fun from such incidents are the main perpetrators, whoever these groups are, in our view, they are the enemies of pride and dignity of the people of Afghanistan” said former vice president Karim Khalili.
“Those who claim that Taliban are inside the system or the government, they must provide proof of it so that action is taken in line with it,” said Anwarul Haq Ahadi, chairman the New National Front Party.
Sources within Jamiat have confirmed that Jamiat leaders refused to attend a meeting with Ghani in the wake of the deadly attack on the cemetery and also called on the CEO to decide which side he is on.