RASC News Agency: Dr. Abdul Latif Pedram, leader of the National Congress Party of Afghanistan, has described the silence of Afghanistan’s jihadi leaders in response to recent remarks by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif as “questionable and concerning,” calling for a clear and public stance from them.
In a post published on his official Facebook page, Pedram wrote that he had expected councils, coalitions, and parties associated with the jihadi movement to respond in a “clear, transparent, and appropriate” manner to Asif’s statements. However, he said no such reaction has been seen.
He emphasized that Khawaja Asif “is not an ordinary individual,” but the defense minister of a country that has played a direct role in Afghanistan’s major developments over the past four decades. Pedram added:
“Whatever name is given to it American jihad or non-American jihad in the end it was Pakistan that benefited from its outcomes and became a nuclear power, while Afghanistan was left to drown in blood and soil.”
The leader of the National Congress Party further noted that some jihadi figures and factions are quick to issue statements and hold online meetings over events such as the death of military or sports personalities, yet remain silent in the face of remarks that, in his view, “target the dignity of jihad and the fate of Afghanistan.”
Pedram also wrote that the United States, once the main supporter of the jihadi movement in Afghanistan, now refers to the country as a “God-forsaken land,” a phrase he says reflects how major powers’ views of Afghanistan have changed after decades of involvement.
He concluded by citing a line from Ahmad Shamloo “How vulnerable the truth is!” and the famous verse by Sohrab Sepehri “The eyes must be washed; one must see differently” stressing the need to re-examine dominant narratives about jihad, the role of foreign powers, and the responsibility of Afghanistan’s political and religious leaders.
This reaction comes as relations between Kabul and Islamabad once again face verbal and security tensions, with statements by senior officials from both sides drawing wide attention in the media and on social platforms.
