India's EAM accorded equal standing as Pakistan's PM in Uzbekistan; can you spot Pak's FM?

After several officials from Pakistan took pro-Taliban stances, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday claimed that blaming the country over what is going on in Afghanistan is 'not fair'. Further, he added, "We've made every effort to get them on the dialogue table & have a peaceful settlement there". This comes amid on-ground reports telling Republic that Pakistan forces have joined Taliban in its war against the Afghan government.

What's more, when asked about terrorism and Pakistan's ties with India, Imran Khand unfurled his obsession with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and added that 'we are waiting for so long to be civilized (presumably, for 'civil ties') but what to do RSS ideology in between".

Pakistan's PM gets mega snub and no respect at Uzbekistan conference

The Prime Minister of Pakistan was attending the Central-South Asia conference in Uzbekistan. Interestingly, despite Imran Khan being a head of state, the picture shared after the meeting shows India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar being accorded a similar status as Pakistan's Prime Minister. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is seen standing at the centre of the picture, with India's EAM Jaishankar and Imran Khan flanking him one place apart. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russia's FM Sergei Lavrov are also in the picture. Pakistan's Foreign Minister, meanwhile, is barely in the picture, standing on the corner of the last row. 

Furthermore, the Pakistan PM and his government's wishy-washy responses regarding the Taliban come after Afghanistan Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Friday said that such statements of denial from Pakistan were merely pre-written paragraphs. In his tweet, Saleh slammed Pakistan citing the example of Quetta Shura's existence which was also denied by Pakistan. It is to be noted that Osama Bin Laden was also eventually found and killed in Pakistan, within a mile of a massive Pakistan military base.

Pakistan Airforce warns Afghan Army

Making clear its pro-Taliban stance, the Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday (July 14) issued warnings to the Afghan Armed forces and its airforce against taking control of the key Afghan border town of Boldak, a high-ranked Afghan government leader stated. Amrullah Saleh also tweeted that the Pakistan Air Force has been threatening Afghanistan’s military troops for dislodging the Taliban which claimed that it captured the country’s key Spin Boldak-Chaman border to the crossing with Pakistan, an integral region for revenue to the West-backed Kabul government. 

Pakistan's statements on Taliban

On the same day, Pakistan also said that the Taliban was in control of a key town on the Afghan side of its border area. "They have taken control of Spin Boldak border crossing," Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri declared in a statement, cited by Pakistan Observer. This came just a day after the Islamic terror outfit captured the main border crossing with Pakistan, in southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan’s second-largest city connected to Quetta Pakistan via Chaman and Kabul. 

Pakistan-Taliban Nexus exposed

On Tuesday (July 13) Pakistani parliamentarian Mohsin Dawar had nailed the role of his nation in exporting Taliban terrorists to Afghanistan. Speaking on the floor of the Pakistan National Assembly on Tuesday, he backed Afghanistan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh's claim that the Taliban is guided by his country's special forces from Peshawar and Quetta. In his address, he also cited Pakistan President Arif Alvi's tweet expressing sympathy with the Taliban. 

Pakistani parliamentarian Mohsin Dawar remarked, "This is just like an invasion. It is a step towards attacking your neighbouring country. You are supporting the terrorists who are fighting their government there. In the last few days, a provincial Minister stated in the Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that the Taliban are fighting our war." 

These developments come ahead of the completion of the US pullout from Afghanistan, which has coincided with the Taliban taking over vast tracts of Afghanistani territory even as the peace process between the militants and the Afghanistan government grinds on.

(Inputs: ANI) (Image: ANI)