ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf has said that the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan without political settlement is a tragedy which might lead towards a civil war.
In an interview, the National Security Advisor was of the view that Pakistan had been urging US. and its allies that the withdrawal from Afghanistan should be responsible. “The United States is repeating the mistake of 90’s in Afghanistan by leaving the country without power sharing agreement between Taliban and Kabul administration”, he added.
Yusuf said that Pakistan has been of the view that there should be a responsible withdrawal from Afghanistan but the United States has left Afghans to fend for themselves and spread unrest in the region.
National Security Advisor said that Pakistan’s efforts in Afghanistan wouldn’t result because the Washington’s policy for the region was not based on ground realities.
It’s irony of fate that world is asking us for do more in Afghanistan, Yusuf said, adding that Pakistan convinced the Taliban for negotiations with the US which resulted in Doha peace agreement while on the other hand, no such pressure seems on Kabul administration by US for political settlement.
Yusuf further said that Afghanistan needed a political settlement for which Pakistan was looking for a regional approach.
Expressing concern over the worsening situation in Afghanistan, he said that this time Pakistan was not in a position to accept Afghan refugees. International forces will have to deal with them inside Afghanistan.
He said, Pakistan wants to work with US in the areas of mutual interests with equality including in Afghanistan but it seems that Washington has taken a policy shift.
Yusuf went on to say Pakistan wouldn’t be part of block-politics and Washington shouldn’t ask us to choose either china’s or US side.
He said if US forces Pakistan to choose a side between Washington and Beijing the world knows which camp Pakistan will choose.
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