Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, currently visiting Washington, has reignited diplomatic tensions with pointed remarks on Afghanistan and terrorism, indirectly holding the United States and regional dynamics responsible for Pakistan’s internal security challenges. Zardari claimed that Pakistan has suffered due to the manner in which the US withdrew from Afghanistan and left behind military equipment that, he alleged, has now fallen into the hands of terrorist groups.
“We talk about terror, we talk about Afghanistan, we talk about other things. That’s what we’ve spent the last couple of decades of this relationship discussing about,” he said, underlining that these themes continue to dominate Pakistan’s engagement with the United States. The PPP chairman further pressed for greater regional and international cooperation to counter terrorism–without acknowledging Pakistan’s own widely alleged role in fostering extremist elements in its neighborhood over the years.
“We need more cooperation, regional, international, on what are we going to do now that post-Kabul to deal with the remnants, with the terrorism that’s left over. As far as the weapons are concerned, you’d be astonished to hear, sometimes when we’re fighting these terrorist groups within Pakistani territory, the weapons that they have procured for the black market that were left behind in Afghanistan are more advanced than the policemen that they’re fighting against,” he said. While the Islamic Emirate is yet to respond to Zardari’s remarks, it has in the past cautioned Islamabad against making inflammatory accusations that could destabilize already fragile bilateral ties.
Political analyst Mohammad Zalmai Afghan Yar criticized Islamabad’s tone, remarking: “Pakistan is threatening the countries in the region. The Afghan government has announced an economy-focused policy. Can Pakistan convey the same message to Afghanistan? Can Pakistan abandon its economic bargaining and avoid collaborating with the U.S. in creating further problems for the Afghan government?” The sharp exchange of narratives comes at a time when Kabul and Islamabad have only recently upgraded their diplomatic ties elevating their envoys from charge d’affaires to full ambassadors after months of tension. Whether this new chapter in diplomacy will bring meaningful change remains uncertain.
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