"I think the US has really messed it up in Afghanistan," Khan said during an interview..
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the US "really messed it up" in Afghanistan as he questioned the American motive for the 2001 invasion of the country in the first place and then their subsequent attempts of seeking a political solution with the Taliban from a position of weakness.The comments by the Pakistani PM comes as a Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Wednesday made a surprise visit to China and held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which the Taliban leader termed Beijing as a “trustworthy friend” and assured that the group will not permit “anyone to use” Afghanistan's territory.
Khan also said that the only good solution to Afghanistan's situation is through a political settlement that is "inclusive" an" involves all factions, including the Taliban.
"I think the US has really messed it up in Afghanistan," Khan said during an interview with Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour, an American news programme, aired on Tuesday night, Dawn newspaper reported.Under a deal with the Taliban, the US and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a commitment by the militants that they would prevent extremist groups from operating in areas they control. US President Joe Biden has announced that American troops will be out of the country by August 31.
Speaking to Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour, Khan said that a political settlement that is 'inclusive' and involves all factions, including the Taliban, is the only solution to Afghanistan's situation, Dawn reported.The US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies have agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a deal by the Taliban militants to make sure that the areas under Taliban control would prevent extremist groups from operating.
Under a deal with the Taliban, the US and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a commitment by the militants that they would prevent extremist groups from operating in areas they control. US President Joe Biden has announced that American troops will be out of the country by August 31.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan by brute force from 1996 to 2001 when the US invasion toppled their government.The US invaded Afghanistan in October, 2001 after the Taliban refused to hand over al-Qaeda's leader Osama bin Laden, who was behind the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in America.Khan criticised the US for trying to "look for a military solution in Afghanistan, when there never was one"."And people like me who kept saying that there's no military solution, who know the history of Afghanistan, we were called - people like me were called anti-American. I was called Taliban Khan," Khan said.He lamented that by the time the US realised that there was no military solution in Afghanistan, "unfortunately, the bargaining power of the Americans or the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces) had gone".