Observer Report Islamabad
Dismissing the allegations levelled by the US administration regarding Pakistan’s rol e in Afghanistan, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday said that the country did not provide any military support to the Taliban.
“US is accusing us that we facilitated Taliban but we only facilitated them to bring them to the table at the request of US,” he said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad.
The statement came a day after a bill seeking imposition of sanctions on the Afghan Taliban that could also potentially extend to Pakistan was tabled in the US Senate.
The bill, titled ‘Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act’, triggered an angry rebuke from Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari.
Rashid, in a presser, said that Pakistan wanted the world to engage with the Taliban so that peace can prevail in the neighbouring country.
“We are standing with the world and we want the world to stand with Afghanistan in this difficult situation,” he added.
Talking about Pakistan’s role in the recent developments in Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan helped evacuate 20,000 to 22,000 people and the process will continue till October 30, adding that the entire world lauded Pakistan’s efforts in this regard.
He said that Pakistan’s geostrategic position was very important and the world powers understood it’s importance. “We will face more challenges [in future as well] but we will emerge victorious eventually.”
Criticising India’s role in Afghanistan, the interior minister said that India suffered humiliation in the war-torn country and was now trying to harm Pakistan in any way possible.
“India had spread fake news regarding the New Zealand cricket team’s tour to Pakistan,” he added.
Rashid said that Pakistani people love cricket but they are not dying for New Zealand to come and play cricket here.
