Islamabad against Taliban rule in post-NATO Afghanistan — report

A US military Chinook helicopter lands on a field in Maidan Shar, capital of Wardak province of Afghanistan, on June 6, 2019. (AFP/File)

• Circulated by NATO’s Defense College in Italy, the document says Pakistan wants to maximize its influence in Afghanistan while keeping India at bay
• Prime Minister Imran Khan recently said his government was not pursuing ‘strategic depth’ in the neighborhood and would work with any administration in Kabul

ISLAMABAD: A report released by a military training facility in Europe earlier this week claimed that Pakistan wanted a broad-based interim government in Afghanistan that also included the Taliban, though it added that the administration in Islamabad did not want the insurgent group to return to power since it thought it was against its interests.
United States President Joe Biden announced to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan last April, saying his country would complete the military exit by the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks later this year.
The announcement was following by an escalation of violence in Afghanistan, making various international powers and neighboring countries indulge in situation assessment to devise an enduring strategy for peace in the region.
“The former Taliban regime … did not respond positively to Pakistani demands, foremost the recognition of the Durand Line as an international border,” the report prepared by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Defense College in Italy said. “The potential reestablishment of an Emirate – with the abolishment of the Republic, the constitution, and guaranteed fundamental and political rights – could also lead to a major influx of refugees into Pakistan.”
The document maintained the Taliban rule could once again turn Afghanistan into a hub of terrorist outfits, adding that some of them could specifically target Pakistan.
It identified Islamabad’s primary objective in the war-battered country to gain maximum influence while keeping India at bay.
“Pakistan continues to use its influence over the Taliban so as to achieve these goals,” said the report. “But it has also pursued a rapprochement in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, gaining leverage among key players at the expense of [President Ashraf] Ghani’s government.”
Pakistani officials have frequently denied that their country intends to meddle in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs in any way possible.
In a recent interview, Prime Minister Imran Khan said his government had changed Pakistan’s policy of “strategic depth” in Afghanistan and was willing to work with any administration in Kabul.
Pakistan’s national security advisor also highlighted his concern regarding a “hostile” international media recently, saying that his country was doing everything for peace in the region and would not allow anyone to “scapegoat” it for any possible failings in Afghanistan.