Web Desk
Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf has expressed concern over the worsening situation in Afghanistan, terming it “extremely bad and out of Pakistan’s control”.
Briefing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, he warned of an impending risk of an attack by Tehreek-i-Taliban, who, he said, could enter Pakistan disguised as refugees.
He, however, denied the presence of the Taliban in Pakistan as of now, terming the reports “Indian propaganda”.
“India is financially facilitating the propaganda and agencies have even made arrests in this regard.”
Yusuf said Pakistan was very concerned about the changing situation following the US drawdown and would be adversely affected by the growing violence and civil war in Afghanistan.
“The region’s peace is conditional on peace in Afghanistan,” he added.
Yusuf further said that the Afghan government needed to work on improving relations with Pakistan if it wanted peace in the country.
“[Also], I don’t see the US offering a financial package to Afghanistan and in that case, only Pakistan can provide a trade route to the landlocked country,” he said.
The national security adviser stressed that the UN Refugee Agency needed to set up camps for Afghan refugees.
According to English Newspaper, Daily Dawn, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also briefed the committee, saying that Pakistan intended to suggest power sharing in Afghanistan to avoid civil war.
He added that in case of a civil war in Afghanistan, Pakistan would not be able to handle the influx of refugees. He further stated that Pakistan wanted 300,000 refugees in the country to return to their own countries.
He also affirmed that he would not be “apologetic” during an important conference on Afghanistan he was due to attend in Uzbekistan in the coming days.
Qureshi said Pakistan was not the only stakeholder in Afghanistan and would firmly present its stance in the conference.
“The situation in Afghanistan is worsening and holding Pakistan responsible for the [worsening] situation was not fair,” he said.
The foreign minister said Taliban had objections over Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s participation in negotiations, adding that they were “intelligent and had grown wise” over time. He added that Taliban had changed after Doha talks.
The minister said Afghanistan lacked the resources to ensure its security and Pakistan would have to prepare for dealing with the changing situation in the war-torn country as India wanted to sabotage the peace process there.
He added that India neither wanted stability in Afghanistan nor in Pakistan.
“And we have informed America, European nations and others about this,” he said.
The minister also said that another briefing to lawmakers on national security by the military leadership would be organised before Eidul Azha. An earlier briefing on the issue had taken place on July 1.
