Observer Report Islamabad
National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf has said the United States has assured Pakistan that the country will not be made a scapegoat as Washington ends its two-decade long presence in Afghanistan.
NATO troops began their retreat on May 1. In line with US President Joe Biden’s announcement, all American troops will leave Afghanistan by mid-September this year, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, on New York City and Washington, D.C.
The national security adviser further said that any attempt to shift the blame on Pakistan for ‘face-saving’ by Washington would be unacceptable.
“The United States has assured us that Pakistan will not be made a scapegoat amidst the withdrawal from Afghanistan, but only time will tell whether [it remains as such] as history suggests otherwise,” Yusuf said while speaking to a private news channel.
He cautioned that it was too early to predict whether the US would remain committed to its words”.
The national security adviser also reiterated that Islamabad desires peace in Afghanistan and wants to maintain bilateral ties with Washington.
