Taliban are regular civilians, how is Pakistan alleged to hunt them down, asks PM Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that the Taliban weren’t some navy outfit however “normal civilians”. In an interview with PBS News Hour, Imran Khan additionally requested how Pakistan was alleged to hunt them down when the nation had practically three million Afghan refugees at its borders.

“Why don’t they give us evidence of this? When they say that Pakistan gave safe havens, sanctuaries to Taliban, where are these safe havens? There are three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan. And Taliban are not some military outfit. They are normal civilians. And if there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?” stated Khan.Terming the allegations that Pakistan has aided Taliban financially and offered them with weapons and intelligence as “extremely unfair”, he has demanded proof from detractors to again these claims.Imran Khan asserted that not solely had the Pakistani authorities joined the United States’ warfare on terror after 9/11 and endured untold losses due to it, they’ve additionally offered shelter to 1000’s of Afghan refugees over time.ALSO READ | Return of Taliban isn’t a headache for India solely. Here’s why.US ‘REALLY MESSED IT UP’Instead, the Pakistan prime minister put the blame squarely on the US and stated the nation “really messed it up” in Afghanistan by launching a navy invasion after which searching for a political resolution with the Taliban from a place of weak point.”I think the US has really messed it up in Afghanistan,” stated Imran Khan, including that Washington ought to have opted for a political settlement with the Taliban a lot earlier, when it had the higher hand.”But once they had reduced the troops to barely 10,000, and then, when they gave an exit date, the Taliban thought they had won. And so, therefore, it was very difficult for now to get them to compromise,” he stated.ALSO READ | On US airstrikes in assist of Afghan forces, Taliban says violation of signed settlement could have consequencesThe cricketer-turned-politician remarks got here in opposition to the backdrop of a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan as US and allied nations withdraw their troops from the nation.When the interviewer requested whether or not he thought the Taliban resurgence was a constructive improvement for Afghanistan, Imran Khan reiterated that the one good end result could be a political settlement, “which is inclusive”.”Obviously, Taliban (will be) part of that government,” he added.ALSO READ | Exclusive: Pakistani fighters, Taliban instructed to focus on Indian property in Afghanistan, say sources’PARTNERS IN PEACE, BUT NOT IN CONFLICT’Khan described the “worst-case scenario” as being one the place Afghanistan descends right into a civil warfare. “From Pakistan’s point of view, that is the worst-case scenario, because we then we face two scenarios, one (of them being) a refugee problem,” he stated.Pakistan’s place on the instability in Afghanistan is simple, stated Imran Khan, in that it needs to assist facilitate dialogue between the Taliban and the US. However, Islamabad gained’t enter into one other “transactional relationship” with Washington and turn into a employed gun, nor will it permit the US to arrange counterinsurgency bases within the nation.“If there’s a conflict going on in Afghanistan and there are bases in Pakistan, we then become targets. We want to be partners in peace, but not in conflict,” he stated.WATCH | Taliban coaching terrorists with rocket launchers, refined weapons | Exclusive