Attack reinforces Afghan mistrust of Pakistan

Kabul: Ordinary Afghans' mistrust of the Pakistani military and its spies appeared deepened on Tuesday in the wake of a suicide car bomb attack outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul which killed 41 people and wounded 139.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani spoke of his country's goodwill towards Afghanistan while visiting Malaysia, but Afghans' suspicions of their interfering neighbour and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency were running high.

"We know that Pakistan's ISI has orchestrated the attack on the Indian embassy because good relations between Afghanistan and India are not in Pakistan's interest," said student Nadir Shah a day after the attack.

"India plays a key role in building Afghanistan's infrastructure and is working on many vital projects for the people, whereas Pakistan wants to deter India," he added.

The Afghan government has yet to level a direct accusation against Pakistan, though a spokesman yesterday said the attack bore the "hallmarks of a particular intelligence agency".

"I am not going to name it. I think it is pretty obvious," said spokesman Humayun Hamidzada

Afghan state-run newspapers were less circumspect.

"The enemy is ISI of Pakistan, who fights on different fronts against Afghans and tries to fish in muddy waters through planning subversive attacks in Afghanistan," the Kabul Times said in an editorial.

The Dari-language Anis said Pakistan had been behind past attacks on Indian construction workers, who have been killed in bomb blasts or executed after being kidnapped.

Ahmad Fawad, a roadside money changer, said Pakistan was habitually blamed. "Pakistan has been involved in Afghanistan's politics and security for years," Fawad said.

"So, the government blames Pakistan and its intelligence agency for any big attacks that happen in Afghanistan."

There is widespread suspicion Pakistan's ISI maintains contacts with some Taliban factions and other groups fighting in Afghanistan, although it at the same time works with Western forces and the Afghan government to counter cross-border militancy.