In a development that could be detrimental to Pakistan, legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate seeking a report from the Secretary of State Antony Blinken about his assessment of Pakistan’s role in the Taliban offensive that led to the toppling of the US-backed Afghan government.
The US Senate also wants a detailed report on the support given to the Taliban offensive in Panjshir Valley, prompting Islamabad to term the move as ‘unwarranted’.
The ‘Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight and Accountability Act’, introduced by 22 Republican senators on Tuesday (September 30), seeks to impose sanctions on the Taliban and any foreign governments that support the hardline Islamic group that has now imposed Sharia law in the country.
Now the Senate wants assessment form the Secretary of State about Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban from 2001-2020, and the logistical support extended to the Taliban against Panjshir Valley and the Afghan resistance.
In a response to media queries about the draft bill introduced by the US Senators, the Foreign Office in Islamabad said that the proposed legislative measures were ‘uncalled for and counterproductive’.
“The legislation includes references to Pakistan that are completely unwarranted. We find all such references inconsistent with the spirit of Pakistan-US cooperation on Afghanistan since 2001, including facilitation of the Afghan peace process and during the recent evacuations of American and other nationals from Afghanistan,” the statement said.
Pakistan again used the old formula wherein it said that Pakistan has consistently maintained that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that long-term sustainable peace in Afghanistan could only be achieved through engagement and dialogue.
The Foreign Office also added that Pakistan plays a very important role in the sustained security cooperation with the United States and that be would critical in dealing with any future terrorist threat in the region.
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