Washington [US], June 10 (ANI): Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during his visit to Washington, reignited diplomatic tensions with remarks indirectly blaming the United States and regional developments for Pakistan’s ongoing battle with terrorism. Zardari claimed that the way the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan has significantly undermined Pakistan’s internal security, with abandoned American military equipment allegedly ending up in 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,” Zardari stated, stressing that these issues continue to dominate Pakistan’s diplomatic discourse with the U.S.
He called for enhanced regional and global cooperation to tackle the persistent threat of terrorism. However, Zardari avoided addressing Pakistan’s widely criticized role in fostering extremist groups over the past decades.
“We need more cooperation—regional, international—on what we are going to do post-Kabul to deal with the remnants and the terrorism that’s left behind,” Zardari said. “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 they have from the black market, left behind in Afghanistan, are more advanced than the policemen they’re fighting.”
While the Islamic Emirate in Kabul has not yet responded to Zardari’s comments, it has previously urged Islamabad to avoid inflammatory accusations that could further destabilize the fragile bilateral relationship.
In response, political analyst Mohammad Zalmai Afghan Yar criticized Pakistan’s approach, stating: “Pakistan is threatening countries in the region. The Afghan government has adopted an economy-centered foreign policy. Can Pakistan send the same message of economic engagement to Afghanistan? Can it step back from using economic leverage and refrain from collaborating with the U.S. to create further difficulties for the Afghan government?”
These remarks come just as Pakistan and Afghanistan recently restored full diplomatic relations, upgrading their missions from chargé d’affaires to full ambassadors after months of frosty ties. Whether this move will ease tensions or be undermined by mutual accusations remains uncertain. (ANI)
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