WASHINGTON: The United States appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate the transition in war-battered Afghanistan and ensuring stability in the South Asian region by encouraging the Taliban to engage in peace talks.
“Pakistan has much to gain [from peace in Afghanistan] and will continue to have a critical role, will be well-positioned to have a role in supporting the outcome that not only the United States seeks, but that many of our International partners, many of the countries in the region also seek,” Department of State spokesperson Ned Price told a press briefing on Monday.
The statement came hours after Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani blamed the speedy withdrawal of US-led troops for the worsening violence in his country, as government forces battled to prevent provincial cities from falling to the Taliban in a major escalation in fighting.
He told parliament that “an imported, hasty” peace process “not only failed to bring peace but created doubt and ambiguity” among Afghans.
Prince said Washington will “continue to work and to communicate closely with” Islamabad on the Afghanistan question.
As the foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan in a move that represents an end to the post-9/11 era and represents a renewed focus on combatting so-called threats from China, the Ghani regime in Kabul faces an existential threat coming from the insurgent group.
Fighting has intensified since early May, with the insurgents capitalising on the final stages of the withdrawal of foreign forces after almost 20 years.
Only last week, Taliban fighters assaulted at least three provincial capitals overnight — Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and Herat — after a weekend of heavy fighting that resulted in thousands of civilians fleeing the advancing militants.
Last week, National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf called on his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, and, during crucial talks, both sides agreed to “sustain the momentum in Pak-US cooperation”.
It was their second meeting, followed by one in Geneva in May, during which Afghanistan and other regional issues were discussed. It was part of the high-level bilateral engagements between the two states.
But during his visit, Yusuf “did not meet” with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Price said, explaining “we were travelling all last week”.
In response to a question, Price said China’s possible involvement in Afghanistan could be “a positive thing”.
Last week, Beijing said it saw the Taliban playing an important role in the peace process and rebuilding of Afghanistan. It further said the peace dialogue needed to be “Afghanistan-led and Afghanistan-owned”.
“So, there is an alignment of interests [between the US and China], at least in some areas, when it comes to what we seek in Afghanistan, what the PRC [People’s Republic of China] seeks in Afghanistan, and what the broader international community seeks in Afghanistan,
Price said.
“We will continue to explore how we might be able to coordinate and work together towards that shared goal,” he added.
Nine Taliban representatives had last Wednesday travelled to Tianjin for the talks.
In a tweet, the Taliban spokesperson said China had “reiterated its commitment of continuation of their assistance with Afghans and said they will not interfere in Afghanistan’s issues but will help to solve the problems and restoration of peace in the country.”
In a statement, China’s foreign ministry said it would pursue a policy of “non-interference” in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
“The hasty withdrawal of the United States and NATO troops from Afghanistan actually marked the failure of the U.S. policy towards Afghanistan, and the Afghan people have an important opportunity to stabilize and develop their own country,” it added.
US lauds Pakistan for advancing peace talks in Afghanistan
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