'Little Pygmy': Pakistani Minister In Twitter Rift With U.S. Kabul Ambassador

AVA- The Pakistani minister for human rights, Shireen Mazari, tweeted in response: "Clearly you little pygmy your knowledge of ball tampering is as void as your understanding of Afghanistan and the region! Clearly in your case ignorance is certainly not bliss!”

Mazari called Bass's comments "another sign of Trumpian mischief a la Khalilzad style!"

The rift comes as Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief U.S. negotiator in discussions with the Taliban, is heading back to the region.

Khalilzad has held several rounds of peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.
The Western-backed government in Kabul has complained it is being left out of the negotiations, with the Taliban refusing to negotiate with what they consider "a U.S. puppet."

During a briefing with local journalists on March 25, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan reportedly suggested that Afghanistan should set up an interim government to help smooth the talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators.

The comments caused uproar in Afghanistan, which on March 26 recalled its Islamabad ambassador and summoned Pakistan's deputy ambassador to Kabul to discuss what a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman called the "irresponsible" remarks by Khan. 

Khalilzad weighed in on Kabul's side, tweeting that while Pakistan had made "constructive contributions" to the Afghan peace process, "Khan's comments did not."