Taliban deny Pak support in Badakhshan fighting

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Afghanistan's Taliban have rejected opposition Northern Alliance allegations that Pakistan has supported them in their latest gains in Badakhshan province.

"I must say that this is not true that the Pakistan allowed us to launch attack from its border area. We had launched our operations on Tuesday. We proceeded to Topkhana area through Nooristan. There is no fact in this claim because the Pakistani officials are not allowing the people crossing the border into Afghanistan to take even bread. How can they allow us to use the area for attacking Badakshan." Taliban spokesman in Chitral Mohammad Eidi Ayyar told the BBC.

Earlier, spokesman for the opposition Northern Alliance Dr. Abdullah alleged that 2000 Taliban backed by Pakistan launched attack against Badakhshan. He admitted that clashes have also taken place between the two sides in Shah Saleem area near Pakistan's Chitral border.

Asked that the opposition claims that Badakhshan is not accessible from other sides except Chitral, the Taliban spokesman said: "As far the route for a vehicle, it is correct that it passes through Chitral but there are routes for pedestrians and for horse-riders, so that passes through Nooristan province of Afghanistan and every one knows that we had been using that route during the Jihad against the Soviet troops. Every one knows those routes and no one can hide them."

"We consider it as direct interference of Pakistan. I talked about this development in the United Nations and human rights situation and effects of the Afghan situation on regional and global peace." Abdullah said.

He alleged that Taliban have occupied these areas with the support of foreign forces. Thus it does not mean that Taliban have legitimacy for occupying these areas. He said that the world body is also of the view that Taliban are not eligible for the Afghanistan seat in the United Nations unless they get ready for peace and take basic steps for the establishment of a broad based government in Afghanistan.

The spokesman for the Taliban denied the opposition claim of retaking Shah Saleem and repulsing Taliban's offensive. He said that the opponents always make such propaganda against the Islamic Emirate.