Afghanistan crisis: US pressing Pakistan to join fight against ISIS-K & Al-Qaeda

The Biden administration is pressuring Pakistan to help in the fight against terrorist groups like Islamic State – Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Al-Qaeda, following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

According to Nahal Toosi of POLITICO, Pakistan wants more public acknowledgement for its involvement in assisting individuals escaping Afghanistan as a result of its assistance to the US. These and other interactions, as documented in emails, secret but unclassified cables, and other written records obtained by POLITICO, show how tensions between Washington and Islamabad persist two decades after the Afghan war began.

US presses Pakistan to cooperate on fighting with terrorist organisation

These documents and other records suggest even now that the US has withdrawn its soldiers from Afghanistan, the two administrations are still far apart on the road forward. According to Toosi, in one conversation with a US official, Pakistani Ambassador to the US Asad Majeed Khan appeared to cast doubt on reports that the Taliban is carrying out revenge attacks in Afghanistan, including claims that the group has been executing its perceived enemies in door-to-door raids.

Meanwhile, the Afghan refugee situation is putting a burden on the US embassy in Islamabad. “We don’t comment on leaked documents, nor do we comment on private diplomatic conversations.”

The Biden administration has been exceptionally strict about its discussions and connections with Pakistan. While Pakistan's activities frequently appear to be at odds with those of the United States, it is a country with ties to the Afghan Taliban, and its collaboration in the battle against terrorism can be proven fruitful. It's also a nuclear-armed country that American officials don't want to fall completely under Chinese sway, according to Toosi.

US on Pakistan's role in Afghanistan

President Biden hasn't spoken with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan so far on the Afghanistan issue. According to what has been made public by the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke directly to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi only once in the past month, as the Taliban made fast inroads across Afghanistan.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Pakistani General Qamar Javed Bajwa about a week ago. Jake Sullivan, Biden's National Security Adviser, met with his Pakistani counterpart, Moeed Yusuf, in late July, according to Sullivan's tweet, but the White House did not issue any release.

Pakistan also assisted in sending Afghan Taliban commanders to peace negotiations with the US and the now-fallen Afghan government, despite Islamabad's long-standing denial that it actively supports the Afghan Taliban. The victory of the Afghan Taliban in August may not be a long-term success for Pakistan. The victory has empowered groups like the Pakistani Taliban, who have long attempted to destroy the Pakistani government through terrorist attacks and other means. Furthermore, the refugee issue created by the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan would undoubtedly put Pakistan to the test, as it already hosts a large number of Afghan refugees.

(With ANI Inputs)