Moeed said Afghanistan’s incumbent government wanted “to shift the entire blame of its failures” on Pakistan

News Desk

WASHINTON: Underscoring the need for a politically negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict, National Security Adviser Dr. Moeed Yusuf has clarified that Pakistan will not accept a “forceful takeover’ of Kabul.

After concluding week-long talks with the US administration, Moeed Yusuf, while addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC late Wednesday, said, “We will not accept a forceful takeover.”

“We have made it absolutely clear that we are with the international community on where this goes. But the world also needs to be clear that the US invest in a political settlement.”

Harsh rhetoric of the Afghan government against Pakistan was making it impossible to maintain good relations between the neighbouring countries, he added.

He further said, “We are beginning to see a very conscious, deliberate effort by the Afghan government to scapegoat Pakistan.”

Moeed said Afghanistan’s incumbent government wanted “to shift the entire blame of its failures” on Pakistan.

He urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to “compromise and reach a peace settlement” as the fighters made rapid gains amid a US troop withdrawal.

 “There will have to be some compromise given the ground reality. But the violence will have to stop,” he added.

He dismissed talk of Islamabad exerting leverage over the Taliban.

“Whatever limited leverage we had, we used,” he said, pointing to Pakistan encouraging the Taliban to enter talks with the Afghan government in Doha.

“Now with the US troop withdrawal, that leverage has logically gone down further,” he added.