New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said Islamabad will avoid risking further conflict and will work with “any government” that rules in Afghanistan, without choosing sides, and not provide any bases to the US.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Khan said Pakistan is ready to be a partner for peace in Afghanistan as long as the government in power “enjoys the confidence of the Afghan people”.
“In the past, Pakistan made a mistake by choosing between warring Afghan parties, but we have learned from that experience. We have no favorites and will work with any government that enjoys the confidence of the Afghan people. History proves that Afghanistan can never be controlled from the outside,” he said.
The prime minister, thus, spoke against Pakistan helping host US bases, from which to bomb Afghanistan, as it could result in an Afghan civil war and further plunge the region into violence.
He also wrote: “Our countries have the same interest in that long-suffering country: a political settlement, stability, economic development and the denial of any haven for terrorists.”
He added that “further military action is futile”, noting the effect the 20-year war has had on Pakistan’s Army, economy and semi-autonomous tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
In April, US President Joe Biden announced a full withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by 11 September this year, which would end America’s longest war. It is an extension of the proposed deadline brokered by the Trump administration and the Taliban, which asked for all foreign forces to leave the country by 1 May this year.
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‘Pakistan cannot afford to host US bases’
In the op-ed, Khan stated that Pakistan cannot afford to host US bases in the ongoing war because that will again make Pakistan a target “for revenge by terrorists”.
“If Pakistan were to agree to host US bases, from which to bomb Afghanistan, and an Afghan civil war ensued, Pakistan would be targeted for revenge by terrorists again. We simply cannot afford this. We have already paid too heavy a price,” he wrote.
He further asked how the US would be successful from bases in Pakistan if it couldn’t win the war from inside Afghanistan.
Stating that Pakistan has “done a lot of real diplomatic heavy lifting”, including being a part of the “Extended Troika” joint statements with Russia, China and the US, Khan wrote: “We want a negotiated peace, not civil war. We need stability and an end to terrorism aimed at both our countries.”
He added, “We hope the Afghan government will also show more flexibility in the talks, and stop blaming Pakistan, as we are doing everything we can short of military action.”
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‘US foreign aid is less than losses to Pakistani economy’
Khan claimed the US “pressured” Pakistan to send troops into tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and that the move displaced half the population of the tribal areas, destroyed villages and prompted suicide attacks against the Pakistani army.
He noted that 1 million people in North Waziristan were displaced and 500 Pakistani policemen were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“There are more than 3 million Afghan refugees in our country — if there is further civil war, instead of a political settlement, there will be many more refugees, destabilizing and further impoverishing the frontier areas on our border,” he wrote.
He also said US foreign aid did not compensate for the full extent of the damage.
“Our country has suffered so much from the wars in Afghanistan. More than 70,000 Pakistanis have been killed. While the United States provided $20 billion in aid, losses to the Pakistani economy have exceeded $150 billion. Tourism and investment dried up,” wrote Khan.
Khan also blamed US drone attacks for fuelling furore among terrorist groups.
“US drone attacks, which I warned against, didn’t win the war, but they did create hatred for Americans, swelling the ranks of terrorist groups against both our countries,” he wrote.
While urging greater flexibility from the Afghan government, Khan also stressed on promoting trade and connectivity between Islamabad and Kabul.
“I believe that promoting economic connectivity and regional trade is the key to lasting peace and security in Afghanistan. Further military action is futile. If we share this responsibility, Afghanistan, once synonymous with the ‘Great Game‘ and regional rivalries, could instead emerge as a model of regional cooperation,” Khan said.
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
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