Page 12 - Pakistan Link - July 30, 2021

P12 – PAKISTAN LINK – JULY 30, 2021 PAKISTAN

The Only Good Outcome in Afghanistan Pakistan, China Push Taliban to

Would Be a Political Settlement Break Ties with ETIM and TTP

The prime minister said the US should have opted for a political settlement much earlier when there were as many as 150,000 Afghan Taliban delegation headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar visited China -
NATO troops in Afghanistan Photo: twitter/@nafeesm02352820

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran because we then … we face two sce- commits rape, solely and solely, that Islamabad: Pakistan and China have of US and NATO forces’ exit. The

Khan has said that the United States narios, one [of them being] a refugee person is responsible.” jointly pushed the Afghan Taliban Kohistan terrorist attack sent alarm
“really messed it up in Afghanistan” problem,” he said. “No matter whatever, how to completely break their ties with bells both in China and Pakistan with
as he questioned the American mo- “Already, Pakistan is hosting much ever a woman is provocative or East Turkestan Islamic Movement concerns that the security vacuum in

tive of Afghan invasion in the first over three million Afghan refugees. whatever she wears, the person who (ETIM), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Afghanistan will embolden groups
place and then their subsequent at- And what we fear is that a protracted commits rape, he is fully responsible. (TTP) and all other terrorist outfi ts such as ETIM and TTP, something
tempts of seeking a political solution civil war would [bring] more refu- Never is the victim responsible,” he that pose a direct threat to both coun- that could endanger the multibillion-
with the Taliban from a position of gees. And our economic situation is added. tries and the region. dollar CPEC.

weakness. not such that we can have another The premier maintained that his The Taliban, who have made Against this backdrop, Pakistan

The prime minister’s remarks influx.” comments in the HBO interview in rapid inroads in Afghanistan since requested China to directly convey its

come as the US military and NATO Elaborating on the second prob- June were taken out of context, say- the US and NATO forces started concerns over their reported ties with
are in the final stages of winding up lem, he expressed concerns that the ing that he was “simply talking about withdrawing, were told in clear terms anti-Pakistan and anti-China terror-

involvement in Afghanistan, which fallout of a potential civil war across Pakistani society, where we are hav- that they had to make a clean break ist groups.
has lately seen a Taliban resurgence . the border could “flow into Pakistan”. ing a rise, a sharp rise in sex crimes.” from these terrorist outfi ts and also A Chinese foreign ministry

“I think the US has really The prime minister explained “So, my comments were in that push them out of areas under the in- statement issued on Wednesday con-

messed it up in Afghanistan,” the that the Taliban were ethnic Pash- context,” he said. surgent group’s control. firmed that the Chinese authorities

premier said during an appearance tuns and “if this [civil war and vio- The prime minister further According to official sources took up the issue of ETIM with the

on PBS NewsHour, an American lence in Afghanistan] goes on, the said that he had specifically used the familiar with the development, the Afghan Taliban delegation.

news program, aired on Tuesday Pashtuns on our side will be drawn word “purdah”, referring to his earli- message was conveyed to the Taliban Chinese Foreign Minister Wang
night. into it.” er remarks on rape during a telethon in the wake of the July 14 terrorist Yi, according to the statement,

PM Khan criticized the US for “That … is the last thing we in April. attack targeting Chinese nationals, stressed that the ETIM is an inter-
trying to “look for a military solution want,” he said. ““We have to promote a culture who were working on a hydroelectric national terrorist organization des-
in Afghanistan, when there never of veil (purdah) to avoid temptation. project in Dasu, Kohistan. At least ignated by the UN Security Council
was one”. ‘Extremely unfair’ to allege Delhi is called a rape capital; simi- nine Chinese were killed in the at- that poses a direct threat to China’s
“And people like me who kept Pakistan supported Taliban larly, obscenity in Europe has shat- tack, which was initially termed as an national security and territorial in-
saying that there’s no military solu- When asked about Pakistan’s tered their family system. Therefore, accident. tegrity.

tion, who know the history of Af- alleged military, intelligence and fi- the people in Pakistan should help However, investigations later “Combating it is a common
ghanistan, we were called — people nancial support to Afghanistan, he government overcome obscenity,” he revealed that it was a terrorist attack responsibility for the international

like me were called anti-American. I replied: “I find this extremely unfair”. had said on the occasion. and both Pakistan and China vowed community. We hope the Afghan
was called Taliban Khan.” The premier reminded Wood- Clarifying his position on the to expose and punish the perpetra- Taliban will make a clean break with

He lamented that by the time ruff that 70,000 Pakistanis had died matter, he told Woodruff, “I used tors. Pakistan shared the fi ndings of all terrorist organizations, including

the US realized that there was no in the aftermath of the US war in the word purdah. In Islam, purdah the investigation with the Chinese the ETIM, and resolutely and effec-
military solution in Afghanistan, Afghanistan, even when “Pakistan does not mean just clothes. And pur- authorities during the recent visit of tively combat them to remove ob-
“unfortunately, the bargaining pow- had nothing to do with what hap- dah is not restricted to women only, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood stacles, play a positive role and create
er of the Americans or the NATO pened [in New York on September but that is for men as well. It means Qureshi and Director General Inter- enabling conditions for security, sta-
(North Atlantic Treaty Organization 11, 2001].” bringing the temptation down in a Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General bility, development and cooperation
forces) had gone”. At the time, Al Qaeda was based society.” Faiz Hameed to Beijing. in the region,” the Chinese statement

The prime minister said the in Afghanistan and “there were no He said that he would never say China’s own investigations also read.
US should have opted for a political militant Taliban in Pakistan,” he said, “such a stupid thing” that “a person indicated that ETIM carried out the Pakistan also conveyed a simi-
settlement much earlier, when there maintaining that no Pakistani was who’s raped is responsible … It’s al- attack with the help of TTP. Th ere lar message to the Afghan Taliban,
were as many as 150,000 NATO involved in the attack on the World ways the rapist that is responsible.” was also the possibility of involve- pressing them to distance them-

troops in Afghanistan. Trade Center. Woodruff then asked him ment of some “hostile agencies”, ac- selves from TTP and also take action
“But once they had reduced the “We had nothing to do with,” he whether he believed that importance cording to the sources. ETIM, which against them in areas that are under
troops to barely 10,000, and then, repeated, regretting that the war in given to religion, particularly Is- is an Uyghur Islamic extremist orga- the Taliban control.
when they gave an exit date, the Afghanistan had resulted in a loss of lam, “complicates” his ability to take nization founded in Western China, It is not clear if the Afghan
Taliban thought they had won. And $150 billion to Pakistan’s economy. a stronger stand against violence is seeking the establishment of an in- Taliban will be willing to take these

so, therefore, it was very difficult for against women. dependent state called East Turkestan groups head on although they have
now to get them to compromise,” he ‘Comments on rape taken out “Absolutely not,” the prime replacing Xinjiang. assured both Pakistan and China not
told program host Judy Woodruff of context deliberately’ minister replied. Since ETIM and TTP were based to allow the Afghan soil to be used

When the interviewer asked Woodruff questioned the pre- He said that on the contrary, in Afghanistan and to an extent en- against the country’s neighbors.
whether he thought the Taliban re- mier about his controversial remarks Islam gave dignity and respect to joyed the support of Afghan Taliban, In the past Afghan Taliban at-
surgence was a positive development on rape, which had drawn wide- women, adding that having trav- both Islamabad and Beijing took up tempted to strike a peace deal be-
for Afghanistan, the prime minister spread criticism and earned him elled all over the world, he found the matter with the insurgent group. tween the TTP and Pakistan but
reiterated that the only good out- rebuke from civil society, political that women were treated with more Following the visit of Foreign those efforts could not make any

come would be a political settlement, circles and on social media. dignity and respect in Muslim coun- Minister Qureshi and the DG ISI, an headway.
“which is inclusive”. In a June 19 interview with tries. Afghan Taliban delegation headed by Pakistan is hoping that China
“Obviously, Taliban [will be] HBO, he had said: ““If a woman is “Look at the situation in Paki- Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar visited could replace the US and play a con-
part of that government,” he added. wearing very few clothes, it will have stan even now. I mean, look at the China. Although China has main- structive and positive role in bringing
an impact on men unless they are rape cases here. Compare it to West- tained contacts with the Taliban, this about peace and stability in Afghani-

‘Last thing we want is a civil robots. I mean it’s common sense. ern countries. They are minuscule is the fi rst time the Chinese foreign stan. Islamabad feels that China has

war in Afghanistan’ If you have a society where people compared to them,” he remarked. minister publicly met the Taliban the financial leverage to persuade the
The premier described the haven’t seen that sort of thing it will “Yes, we have our issues … But, as far leaders. Afghan Taliban for a compromise.

“worst-case scenario” as being one have an impact on them.” as a woman’s dignity goes, … I can Sources said the visit was Afghan Taliban were conveyed

where Afghanistan descends into a As Woodruff revisited those say, after going all over the world, prompted by China’s growing con- that in case of their noncooperation

civil war. “From Pakistan’s point of remarks, PM Imran clarified his this society gives more respect and cerns of possible negative fallout of they could face consequences such as

view, that is the worst-case scenario, stance, saying that “anyone who dignity to women.” unrest in Afghanistan in the wake non-recognition of their rule
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