APD | Controversial Bill under discussion in the US.

Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan. (E-mail: [email protected]).

Controversial Bill under discussion in the US.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said the recently proposed bill moved in the U.S. Senate seeking Pakistan’s role in the present Afghanistan situation was “an attempt to pass on the buck” and stressed that Pakistan had sufficient reasons to defend the course.

“Pakistan will protect its interests and defend its position. The U.S. has to understand the role played by Pakistan in facilitating the peace process,” Qureshi said at a joint presser with the visiting foreign minister of Denmark Jeppe Kofod.

He was responding to a question over the recent bill presented in the U.S. Senate that sought to assess Pakistan’s role before and after the fall of Kabul to the reigns of the Afghan Taliban.

The foreign minister said, “scape-goating, Pakistan would, in fact, mean overlooking the ground realities”.

Qureshi said Pakistan would not ignore the implications of the proposed bill on Pakistan, adding that “we are cognizant and can explain”.

He pointed out that the bill did not have a bipartisan understanding over it and was presented by a group of Republican senators, who were even critical of some U.S. policies and were also against the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is part of their domestic politics, nothing to do with any other country.

“Let us not be excessively obsessed with the bill. There are lobbies in the U.S. and our neighbors in the region who would like to play it up,” he said. The two foreign ministers, who earlier led the delegation-level talks, said the interaction was held in a positive manner with a focus on renewing the bilateral ties.

Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. ROMNEY, Mr.

PORTMAN, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. THUNE, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. BURR, Mr. WICKER, Mr. MORAN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mrs. BLACKBURN, and Mr. MARSHALL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee for discussion, regarding the imposition of sanctions with respect to Afghanistan.

The Bill is smelled the revenge and ill-motives. It is aimed to punish Afghanistan and disturb the peace and stability in Afghanistan. It is a procedural mechanism to coerce Afghanistan, impose sanctions, and punish a sovereign state, and target individuals or groups in Afghanistan. It is ill-conceived and reflects the cold war mentality of America.

Afghanistan, one of the poorest nations in the world, was under war and unrest for 42 years. From 1979 to 1989, under the USSR invasion, then, internal rifts and power struggle among various factions of Mujahedeen’s, and since 2001, under American occupation. It was the longest war ever fought in the history of humankind, and most disastrous as the weapons used were most lethal, advanced, and high tech. The number of explosives dropped on Afghan soil was much more than the compiled explosive used in World wars I and II.

Afghans are freedom lovers and never accepted any invader in history. In fact, Afghanistan is known as the “graveyard of big empires”. Afghans are a tribal society and enjoy the rich culture, customs, and traditions, and cannot live under foreign domination.

Taliban fought against American occupation for twenty years and finally won against the aggressor. Now they have recaptured their country. It is their fundamental right under the UN charter to rule their own country. Any outside interference may not be justified. The UN and international community may ensure the sovereignty of Afghanistan and protect the country from foreign intervention and interference, including from America. American ill-designs are visible from the Bill and preventive measures may be placed in advance.

The US is not only determined to take revenge for its defeat from Afghans but also from its neighboring nations too. However, senior military officials in the United States have linked the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August to former President Donald Trump’s deal with the Taliban in 2020 promising a complete withdrawal of US troops.

General Frank McKenzie, the head of Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that once the US troop presence was pushed below 2,500 as part of Washington’s bid to complete a total withdrawal by the end of August, the unraveling of the US-backed Afghan government accelerated.

“The signing of the Doha agreement had a really pernicious effect on the government of Afghanistan and on its military, psychologically more than anything else, but we set a date, certain for when we were going to leave and when they could expect all assistance to end,” McKenzie said. He was referring to a February 29, 2020, agreement that the Trump administration signed with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, in which the US promised to fully withdraw its troops by May 2021 and the Taliban committed to several conditions, including stopping attacks on US and coalition forces.

The Secretary of Defense has also admitted American miscalculations and blunders. Yet if they blame any other country for their debacle in Afghanistan is unjustified. Searching for a scapegoat for their blunder may not be accepted by the civilized world. The US intentions may not be ignored or left unnoticed.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)