Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the United States only finds Pakistan useful to clean up the mess it left behind after 20 years in Afghanistan.This comes as Washington is pushing Islamabad to strike a peace deal with the Taliban after all negotiations with the Afghan government have failed and the violence in the country has escalated.
Imran Khan Unhappy With US For Ignoring Him
Khan said that since the US decided to have a “strategic partnership” with India, Washington was treating Pakistan differently.Islamabad is unhappy that Biden has not spoken to Prime Minister Khan since he assumed the presidency in January.
Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf recently expressed disappointment over President Biden’s reluctance to contact Prime Minister Khan despite considering Islamabad as an important country in some critical issues like Afghanistan.Yousuf also said that Islamabad has other “options” if the American leader continues to ignore the country’s leadership.
Prime Minister Khan said that a political solution to the Afghan problem was difficult as the Taliban was not ready to talk with the Kabul government as long as President Ashraf Ghani was there;he said the Taliban leaders told him during a visit that the Ghani government was a puppet and are not in a mood to have truce.
What Is US Stance On Relation With Pakistan
The US State Department assured Islamabad that Washington recognises Pakistan’s vital role in restoring peace in Afghanistan and wants Islamabad to play that role.US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke over the phone with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa this week and discussed the current situation in Afghanistan.
After the call, the Pentagon said the US was having conversations with the Pakistani leadership about the need to shut down the safe havens for Taliban militants along the Afghan-Pakistan border that are providing a source of more insecurity and instability inside Afghanistan.
Earlier Afghanistan and the US have criticised Pakistan in the past for allowing Taliban fighters to cross into Pakistan where they are provided safe havens and also receive medical treatment.Now the US asked Pakistan to use his influence against Taliban to ensure the peace which triggered Imran and he showed his discontent of not considering him or Pakistan for any relations.
