News Analysis |
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, has hinted that People Party’s leadership (PPP) and many others in Pakistan look towards Washington for taking political positions. PTI’s Foreign Minister made these comments while talking with TV Anchor, Moeed Pirzada, in an exclusive discussion for GNN TV, Saturday night. (24 Nov).
He was explaining that after almost 16 years of war in Afghanistan, the United States has finally come around to understand and accept Pakistan’s initial well-thought-out position that solution in Afghanistan lies in a political engagement with Taliban.
Why PPP leaders are Silent now?
Qureshi observed that all those, like PPP leaders, who used to condemn and ridicule Prime Minister, Imran Khan, as “Taliban Khan” for his urging of dialogue are now dead silent because they know that “Sarkar has changed its mind” (government has changed its mind). A surprised anchor, Moeed Pirzada, laughed and asked him that “are you suggesting that there is an international establishment” towards which political parties inside Pakistan look for guidance and approval? Qureshi replied in affirmation, “off-course there is an international establishment”
Foreign Minister, Qureshi, explained that Pakistan, under his government, is helping the US, as much as it could do, in seeking a peaceful solution to the deadlock in Afghanistan. And as the United States has realized the ground realities and changed its strategy, all those political elements, inside Pakistan, that were following the cues from Washington have also changed their positions. None of them is now saying that the Taliban should not be engaged.
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Though he specifically mentioned PPP leaders, his comment was more broad-based towards all the political elements and civil society pundits that used to oppose dialogue with Taliban and are now silent since Washington is now pursuing a dialogue with Afghan Taliban. Moeed Pirzada, TV Anchor, asked Qureshi if it was important for PM, Imran Khan and his government to respond that strongly to President Trump’s recent tweets? Foreign Minister was of the opinion that it was important for his government to set the record straight.
Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
3. Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of ppl uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. 4. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications(GLOCs/ALOCs).Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
Pakistan’s Support was Crucial for the US
Qureshi insisted that without Pakistan’s continuous support through land routes, air corridors, and sea links it would have never been possible for the United States to sustain itself for so long inside a difficult Afghanistan and its important for the US leadership to understand that. He, however, added that Pentagon, US Department of Defense, acknowledges Pakistan’s role as an ally as was evident by their official statement that appeared after the twitter war of words between the US President and the Pakistani Prime Minister.