Washington (TDI): A senior US diplomat has suggested that Pakistan open channels of political engagement with the Afghan Taliban, only days after Islamabad warned Kabul to decide between maintaining ties with Pakistan or siding with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Zalmay Khalilzad, who previously served as Washington’s special envoy for Afghanistan, recently traveled to Kabul with US hostage envoy Adam Boehler. During the visit, they held talks with senior members of the Taliban government.
Khalilzad reminded Pakistan’s leadership that before the Taliban takeover in 2021, Islamabad had consistently pressed both the US and the former Afghan government to pursue talks instead of relying on force. “Now is the moment for Pakistan to do the same,” he remarked.
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The timing of his message is notable. Just last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Army Chief Gen Asim Munir during a visit to Bannu, delivered a blunt warning to Kabul, “Afghanistan must choose between Pakistan and the TTP.”
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While US military commanders, including CENTCOM chief Gen Michael Kurilla, have publicly praised Pakistan’s counterterrorism cooperation, citing the arrest of an IS-Khorasan figure behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombing as an example, Khalilzad’s latest statement is being seen as the first strong push from Washington for both sides to return to dialogue, according to Dawn.
Khalilzad is regarded in Washington policy circles as outspoken and often critical of Islamabad.
