The Foreign Office on Wednesday described a draft bill introduced in the US Senate, seeking sanctions against Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, as “unwarranted”.
In a statement, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also rejected allegations that Pakistan provided any military support to the Afghan Taliban.
These reactions came a day after 22 US senators from the Republican Party moved a draft bill that sought sanctions against the Taliban and called for assessing the alleged role Pakistan played since 2001 in supporting the insurgent group.
The 57-page draft bill, called ‘Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act of 2021,’ had several references to Pakistan.
“An assessment of support by state and non-state actors, including the government of Pakistan for the Taliban between 2001 and 2020, including the provision of sanctuary space, financial support, intelligence support, logistics and medical support, training, equipping, and tactical, operational, or strategic direction,” read the draft bill.
The bill calls for an assessment of the alleged role of the state, non-state actors as well as the government of Pakistan in supporting the Taliban offensive leading to the fall of Kabul.
The 57-page draft bill, called ‘Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act of 2021,’ had several references to Pakistan
The Republican senators demanded that Biden administration particularly investigate the role of Pakistan in supporting the Taliban offensive in Panjshir Valley.
Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar, in a statement said, “We see that a debate is underway in Washington, both in the media and on Capitol Hill, to reflect on and examine the circumstances leading to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The draft legislation introduced in the US Senate by a group of Senate Republicans seems to be a reaction to this debate. The legislation includes references to Pakistan that are completely unwarranted,” the foreign office said.
The Foreign Office described these references as inconsistent with the spirit of Pakistan-US cooperation on Afghanistan since 2001, including facilitation of the Afghan peace process and as well as the recent evacuations of American and other nationals from Afghanistan.
“A sustained security cooperation between Pakistan and the United States would remain critical in dealing with any future terrorist threat in the region. Such proposed legislative measures are, therefore, uncalled for and counterproductive,” the statement added.
The Foreign Office described these references as inconsistent with the spirit of Pakistan-US cooperation on Afghanistan since 2001, including facilitation of the Afghan peace process and as well as the recent evacuations of American and other nationals from Afghanistan
Earlier, Sheikh Rashid had said that Pakistan did not provide any military support to the Taliban.
“The US is accusing us, that we facilitated the Taliban, but we only facilitated them to bring them to the table at the request of the US,” he said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad.
Rashid said that Pakistan wanted the world to engage with the Taliban so that peace could prevail in Afghanistan. “We are standing with the world and we want the world to stand with Afghanistan in this difficult situation.”
