ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday urged Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to consider Pakistan a “partner in peace” instead of blaming it for the ongoing conflict in the war-battered country as Islamabad was trying its best along with other regional states to facilitate a political settlement in Afghanistan.
The prime minister made the comment while addressing an international conference, “Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity: Challenges and Opportunities,” during his two-day visit to Uzbekistan.
The Afghan president was also present at the conference.
Khan’s remarks came shortly after President Ghani blamed Pakistan of a “negative role” in the Afghan peace process, saying that 10,000 fighters had crossed over into Afghanistan from the country.
“If talks fail, we will fight the Taliban,” he maintained. “This is the last chance for peace.”
However, the Pakistan prime minister said it was “extremely unfair” to blame his country for what was going on in Afghanistan.
“I feel really disappointed that we have been blamed for what is going on in Afghanistan,” he responded during his speech. “What is happening in Afghanistan is over two decades of conflict, deep divisions and, unfortunately, the United States seeking a military solution where there was not one.”
Khan said the best time to bring the Taliban to the table was when there were 150,000 troops in Afghanistan. United States President Joe Biden has announced to pull out all the troops from Afghanistan by September this year after two decades of war.
“Why is Taliban going to compromise when the exit date was given and with only a few thousand American troops left [in Afghanistan],” the premier asked. “Why would they [the Taliban] listen to us when they are sensing victory?”
The Pakistani PM said his country was already hosting about three million Afghan refugees and was not in a position to take in more if the conflict intensified in the neighboring country.
“We don’t have the ability or economic strength to bear another inflow of refugees,” he said.
Focusing on regional connectivity, he said Afghanistan was the natural land bridge between South and Central Asia. “Peace in Afghanistan remains the most critical factor in translating this connectivity vision into reality,” he noted. “Our foremost priority is stability in Afghanistan as it directly affects us.”
Khan maintained Pakistan would continue to support all initiatives for peace and reconciliation as well as reconstruction and economic development of Afghanistan.
“Let me just say that the country that is going to be most affected by turmoil in Afghanistan is Pakistan. Pakistan suffered 70,000 casualties in the last 15 years,” he said.
“Our economy is finally recovering from one of the most difficult phases which we have been through, and I repeat the last thing we want is turbulence in Afghanistan,” he said.
Khan assured the Afghan president that no country had tried harder to get Taliban on the dialogue table than Pakistan. “We have made every effort, short of taking military action against Taliban, to get them on the dialogue table and to have a peaceful settlement there.”
Soon after the Pakistani prime minister's speech, a three-day Afghan peace conference, which was scheduled to begin in Islamabad from July 17, was postponed and the foreign office announced it was going to be held after the Islamic festival of Eid Al-Adha.
The foreign ministry did not specify any reason for the decision, though it said that "The new dates of the said Conference will be announced later."
A number of high-profile Afghan leaders had confirmed their presence at the event that was organized "to provide momentum" to peace efforts in Afghanistan.
The foreign office also denied the accusation of Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh that Pakistan was "providing close air support" to the Taliban and threatening his country's military not to dislodge the insurgent group from the border region close to the Pakistani territory.
"The Afghan side conveyed to Pakistan its intention of carrying out air operation inside its territory opposite Chaman Sector of Pakistan," the foreign office explained in its statement. "Pakistan responded positively to Afghan Government's right to act in its territory."
"However, as alleged by the Afghan Vice President, Pakistan Air Force never communicated anything to the Afghan Air Force." the statement continued. "Such statements undermine Pakistan's sincere efforts to play its part in an Afghan owned and Afghan led solution."
