Sparking a fresh controversy during an interview with Judy Woodruff from PBS on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said the United States (US) “really messed it up” in Afghanistan, and questioned America’s motive behind the 2001 invasion of the country. He also said that the Taliban was not a “military outfit” but merely a group of “normal civilians.”
The statement, which comes a month before the complete withdrawal of coalition troops from Afghanistan, is a fresh blow to the already deteriorating relationship between Pakistan and the US, which has often accused Islamabad of supporting the Taliban and providing a safe haven to members of the group.
At the beginning of the interview, Imran Khan expressed his disappointment with the US-led narrative that blames Pakistan for the conflict in Afghanistan. He said the Afghan government’s claim that Pakistani fighters have moved to Afghanistan to help the Taliban is not based on any facts or evidence. Instead, he claimed that the US has “really messed it up in Afghanistan.” Khan said the US erred in looking for a “military solution” to the Afghan conflict rather than highlighting the need for a “political solution.” While questioning the US’ motives in the war-torn country, he said, “I don’t know what the objective was in Afghanistan, whether it was to have some nation-building or democracy or liberate the women. Whatever the cause was, the way they went about it was never going to be the solution.”
Furthermore, Khan highlighted that the hasty withdrawal of American and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops had made a “political solution” to the conflict even more difficult to achieve. He said the time to seek a political solution was before the withdrawal, as the Taliban thought they had emerged victorious once the troops were called back. He added that it would now be very difficult to ask the Taliban to compromise. When asked about the way forward, Khan said the country needs a “political settlement” that was “inclusive,” and that this required the Taliban’s participation in the government, failing which there would be a threat of a “protracted civil war.” He said this would be the “worst-case scenario” for Pakistan, as it shares a border with the war-torn country and houses many Afghan refugees.
Speaking about the future of Pakistan’s relationship with the US, he said there needs to be a change in the dynamic. He claimed that the bilateral relationship was previously “transactional,” with Pakistan acting as a “hired gun” in the “so-called war on terror.” To this end, he said the Pakistani people no longer wish to be a part of this war, specifically in light of the fatalities and its impact on the country’s already faltering economy. Khan said, “Now, Pakistan’s position is very straightforward. We want to help, and we have helped get the Taliban to talk to the US and got them on the dialogue table. We have done our bit.”
Concerning his earlier statement that women’s clothing was the reason for the increase in Pakistan’s sexual assault cases, Khan clarified that his comments were taken “out of context.” He said, “Anyone who commits rape, solely and solely, that person is responsible.”
Read the full transcript here.