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ISLAMABAD:
When US President Joe Biden meets with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghan High Peace Council President Dr Abdullah Abdullah at the White House this week, it’s not just the future of the war-torn country but also the role of Pakistan which will be the main points of discussion.
Ahead of the all-important visit, Pakistan contacted the Afghan government to make it clear that the upcoming visit should not be used to blame Islamabad, officials told the Express Tribune on Tuesday.
It is for this reason that the Pakistani Ambassador in Kabul not only met with Afghan leaders from all parties, but Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also interacted with Dr Abdullah as well as with his Afghan counterpart Hanif. Atmar on the sidelines of the recent Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey. .
Read also: Afghanistan, where is Pakistan’s interest?
Officials, on condition of anonymity, said Pakistan feared “spoilers” within the Afghan configuration would use President Ghani and Dr Abdullah’s upcoming visit to blame Islamabad for the failure.
FM Qureshi during the recent Afghan Track-11 dialogue was not mince words when he said President Ghani could use the upcoming White House visit to blame Pakistan.
“If the objective [President Ghani’s visit] is to start a new blame game and hold Pakistan accountable for all evil, I think that won’t help. It’s a shared responsibility and no one is going to buy this anymore. We will not take any responsibility. We have been sufficiently accused, ”he added.
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Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahid Hafiz Chaudhri said in a separate statement: “The visit of Afghan leaders to Washington DC is a bilateral matter. However, I wish to reiterate our hope that the United States will continue its commitment and efforts for the success of the Afghan peace process. Peace in Afghanistan remains a shared goal.
The White House said President Ghani and Dr Abdullah’s visit would highlight a “lasting partnership” between the United States and Afghanistan as the military withdrawal continues.
But since President Biden announced the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September this year, the Afghan Taliban have made rapid progress in taking control of 30 districts since May 1.
The Taliban, meanwhile, reacted to the visit and called it “unnecessary”.
“They [Ghani and Abdullah] will speak with US officials about preserving their power and personal interests, ”Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. “This will not benefit Afghanistan.
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While the peace process is at stake, parts of the Afghan government have already started to point fingers at Pakistan. The Afghan national security adviser and the Afghan vice president in particular have issued scathing statements against Pakistan in recent weeks.
The repeated rant by the Afghan NSA accusing Pakistan of using the Afghan Taliban as a proxy has forced Islamabad to sever all official ties with Hamdullah Mohib.
Pakistan also warned that such baseless allegations would only undermine peace efforts.
Read also: Pakistan and the growing security vacuum in Afghanistan
Given the trust deficit between the two countries, officials said, Islamabad would closely follow the visit of Afghan leaders to the White House. Although President Biden has interacted with the Afghan leadership, he has yet to contact Prime Minister Imran Khan.
When asked the same in a recent interview with a US media outlet, Prime Minister Imran said President Biden may have other priorities at this point.
But observers find this approach by the Biden administration puzzling given the critical and important role Pakistan plays in any Afghan peace deal.
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