The attack on the main military hospital in Kabul that killed 30 on Wednesday was a direct challenge to the Afghan army. Islamic State (IS) took responsibility for the attack. We have seen IS take responsibility for the Sehwan Sharif attack, and we can empathise with the Afghan people more than anyone else (especially India).

The fact that a terrorist can walk into one of the main military hospitals pretending to be a medic should be cause for extreme alarm. When such breaches happen on a regular basis, they inspire no confidence in the people, nor do they encourage Pakistan in softening its security policy towards Afghanistan, whether it is border closures or the refugee repatriation policy.

Pakistan has been dealing with the same situation. It seems we are taking charge and the situation is improving considerably. If we can do it, so can our neighbour – but not without a mutually agreed strategy between the two states. Instead of maligning Pakistan on international platforms and getting into the blame game, Afghanistan needs to own up to its own security failures and join hands with us. The fact that our countries are geographically contiguous means that such problems will affect both the lands. These are the same terrorists pledging allegiance to different outfits, and thus it means that the problem is not insurmountable. Those who were once pledged to the Taliban, are now pledged to IS. Pak-Afghan foreign policy has to be just about Pakistan and Afghanistan, and not about India. Indian interference is what is causing mistrust and bad coordination.

It would be sad and counter-productive for Afghanistan to try to put the blame on Pakistan.

Pakistan has been taking strong stance against terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. This has mistakenly been seen as a stand against Afghanistan, but it is not. We have hosted and protected our Afghan brothers who took refuge in our country. We need to help them in this hour of need and we will. We can offer the Afghan army assistance in carrying out operations, if they would just consider the possibility that Pakistan is not the enemy.