ISI officer involved in Afghan parliament attack: NDS

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghan spy service on Wednesday alleged the Monday’s group suicide attack on the parliament was carried out by the Haqqani Network in line with a plan designed by an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman, Hasib Siddiqui, told Pajhwok Afghan News the attack had been jointly designed by Maulvi Sherin, the Haqqani Network’s operational commander, and the ISI officer, Bilal, in the Board area of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

He said Bilal hailing from the Zakhil tribe maintained close and direct links with militants in the Tirah valley of Khyber Agency.

The NDS official added 7.5 million Pakistani rupees had been set aside for the attack on the Afghan parliament.

He said the Afghan spy agency had dispatched prior information to the ministries of defence and interior about possibility of such an attack.

According to Hasib, additional troops had been deployed in the vicinity of parliament to foil the attack and Essa Khan, a brave soldier who eliminated six assailants, had been part of the reinforcement.

In Islamabad, Dawn.com quoted Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah as rejecting the allegation on ISI. He said this was not the first time such claims had been made by Afghanistan’s intelligence personnel.

The FO spokesman said Pakistan’s policy vis-a-vis Afghanistan was clear, adding that the two brotherly countries shared a common enemy, a sentiment which has been earlier expressed by PM Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif.

Pakistan had vehemently condemned Monday’s attack on the Afghan legislature, he said, and will continue to support its neighbour in the war against terror.