Islamabad (August 23, 2017): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan Wednesday said that US President Donald Trump has no understanding of Afghanistan and the region’s history.
Speaking to media here, Khan said no Afghan had been involved in 9/11 attacks in the United States, nor there was any terrorist outfit in Pakistan at that time.
“We participated in this war at the behest of the US, it wasn’t our war,” he maintained.
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He said the US president was using same rhetoric against Pakistan as that of India, lamenting that the government didn’t defend the country’s case.
“Neither the prime minister, nor the foreign minister issued a statement in response to Trump’s speech,” the PTI chief said, adding that China came to our defence.
President Trump on Tuesday cleared the way for the deployment of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan Monday, backtracking from his promise to rapidly end America´s longest war, while pillorying ally Pakistan for offering safe haven to “agents of chaos.”
“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting,” he said, warning that vital aid could be cut. “That will have to change and that will change immediately.”
Khan said the US has made India stakeholder in Afghanistan and urged the prime minister to convey a strong message to Washington.
He said the country’s political leadership is scared, which is why the army chief had to respond to Trump’s statement. “They have their looted billions of dollars abroad and that is why they are afraid of responding.”
“A unanimous message should be conveyed [to the US] that civilian and military leadership in the country are on same page; a joint session of the Parliament should also be summoned over US threat,” he suggested.
He went on to say that India has been given a new role in Afghanistan, adding that Donald Trump has no understanding of the region.
“Trump has no idea as to who is the real terrorist and what are the issues [in Afghanistan],” Khan said.
“I still say it even today that we should not have participated in this war,” the PTI chairman added.
Imran Khan demanded the government to call a joint session of the parliament over Trump’s latest remarks against Pakistan.
Branding it government’s inefficiency, Khan said that India was being praised internationally while Pakistan was being leveled allegations against.
Over one lac NATO soldiers cannot check troubled Afghanistan, Khan rhetorically questioned.
The PTI chief stressed that US needs Pakistan’s support to sort out trouble in Afghanistan.
He criticized Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir for not defending the country, slamming the ruling party that even China defended Pakistan while the leaders of our country remained silent.
“Pakistan sacrificed a lot in war against terrorism … Donald Trump has no understanding of the regional matters,” he said.
PTI chief said civil and military leadership should converge on same page, warning the US that Pakistan’s government, armed forces and nation are all united.
He pointed out that India is being praised despite sacrifices made by Pakistan. He claimed Nawaz Sharif told US that the politicians are with them but army disagrees with the notion.
Our political leadership is scared which is why army chief has to give statements, hence creating a hollow space, he added.
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