Pakistan urges Afghan parties to reach a settlement

Pakistan urged stakeholders to reach political settlement, protect human rights and law and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist organization participants in the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting reaffirmed that Pakistan would “continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement” for the representation of all Afghan ethnic groups.

The NSC meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by the civil and the military leadership, also endorsed US President Joe Biden administration’s decision made during the Donald Trump presidency regarding withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, calling it a “logical conclusion to the conflict”.

Biden had blamed the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group.

He did not shy away from heaping criticism at the Western-backed government that was overthrown in Kabul, telling US troops could not defend a nation whose leaders “gave up and fled,” as did Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

“We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future,” Biden said, adding he could no longer ask US soldiers to risk their lives in the country, 20 years on.

“Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation-building.”

He also warned Taliban leaders they would face “devastating force” should they interfere with the US pullout.

Biden was forced to send US troop reinforcements to Kabul to ensure a safe withdrawal of American diplomatic personnel and civilians as well as Afghan citizens who worked with the US and could face reprisals.

The panicked evacuation, coming weeks after Biden predicted the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan was not inevitable, has dented America’s image on the global stage just as Biden has sought to emphasize to world leaders that “America is back” after former president Donald Trump’s tumultuous four years.

The pullout has also raised fears that militant groups like Al Qaeda could reconstitute under Taliban rule.

Biden, rejecting harsh criticism of his Afghan policy from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, some former generals, and human rights groups, was resolute in defending his withdrawal from a 20-year war that endured through four presidencies.

“I stand squarely behind my decision,” Biden said in a televised speech at the White House. “After 20 years I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces. That’s why we’re still there.

The NSC meeting in Pakistan also discussed the measures in place if the situation sparked another influx of Afghan refugees to Pakistan.

An official press release issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) after the meeting said the NSC emphasized that Pakistan remained committed to an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan. The PMO stated the meeting, which was attended by chiefs of the armed forces as well as senior cabinet members, also decided that the principle of “non-interference in Afghanistan” must be adhered to.

When contacted, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told Dawn that the meeting minutely reviewed the Afghan situation and called all stakeholders in the neighboring country for political settlement of the conflict.

Pakistan stands by decision of world community Also, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and National Security Adviser Moeed Yousuf, Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq and Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan held an informal chat with some journalists and elaborated Pakistan’s plans regarding fast developing changes in the neighboring country. They said Pakistan would not take unilateral decision regarding Afghanistan and its future government as Islamabad would stand by the decision of the world community.

Mr. Chaudhry believed the Taliban could not run the country alone as Ashraf Ghani could not rather, they (Taliban) must take all stakeholders on board. “Our stance on Afghanistan is clear but nothing is certain there due to fast changing developments. We have asked Ghani that he could not run the government alone and we again urged Taliban the same,” the minister added.

Mr. Yousuf said Pakistan was standing with the world community and it would stand by whatever decision the international community would take. “We do not want instability in our neighbor. Whatever had happened in Afghanistan is open to all,” he added.