Ousted leader wants to probe Pakistani role in Afghanistan

Ousted leader wants to probe Pakistani role in Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS (Reuter): Afghanistan's ousted government on
Monday refused to give up office and called on the United Nations
to probe Pakistani support for the radical Islamic Taleban
militia that took over the capital of Kabul last week.

"We earnestly expect the United Nations to immediately send a
fact-finding mission into Afghanistan (to) assess the level and
degree of cross-border intervention here," said deputy foreign
minister, Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai.

He was reading a declaration from ousted president Burhanuddin
Rabbani who said his government was "willing and ready" to give
the United Nations evidence, including captured Pakistani
officers in its custody.

The statement said the government, which fled north of the
capital to Talaqan in Tahar province near Tajikistan, would
temporarily continue its functions outside of Kabul and that its
diplomatic and consular missions would continue to represent
Afghanistan.

In answer to questions, the minister indicated that the
government wanted to hold onto territory it controls, prevent
diplomatic recognition of the Taleban and attempt to form
alliances with other groups within the country.

The Taleban, formed by seminary students two years ago, swept
into Kabul on Friday, and immediately abducted the former
communist-backed president Najibullah from a UN compound,
tortured and executed him with his brother.

The militia was forcing women to leave their jobs, many of the
war widows supporting families, as well as wear a veil.

UN officials had no comment but sources said it was improbable
that such an investigation would be conducted. Official UN
reports for months complained about foreign interference in the
nations's civil war without naming Pakistan as one of the
countries involved.

Late on Saturday the UN Security Council said in a formal
statement that all states should stop interfering in Afghanistan.
It also signalled its dismay over Najibullah's assassination.

Pakistan denied it supplied the Taleban with arms and money
but it voiced support for Taleban's takeover of Kabul. Iran
backed the ousted government, along with Russia and India.

Pakistani envoys at the United Nations also said they had no
knowledge of Ghafoozai's claim that 21 soldiers, including five
Pakistani officers, were captured by Rabbini's troops as the
Taleban moved towards Kabul.

Ghafoorzai said that government forces were co-ordinating
efforts with those of Abdul Rashid Dostum, a warlord controlling
six provinces in the north. Dostum opposed both the former
government and Taleban and stayed away from the fighting.