Pakistan has again succeeded to fool the United States. US President Donald Trump’s statements during Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Washington showed that the US is on the verge of repeating its past mistakes. At a press conference with Imran Khan, Trump said Islamabad is not lying, and that it has taken “genuine steps” in resolving the Afghan conflict. Trump praised Pakistan, as there has been no shift in Islamabad’s Afghan policy that can help improve the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan continues to harbor and back anti- Afghan government militants. The leadership councils of insurgents are still active and enjoy state support in Pakistan.
Although Pakistan was said to have been isolated globally for its support to terrorists, the US president’s remarks indicated that Islamabad is more important to the US than Afghanistan, a frontline of the US-led global war on terror for almost two decades. Afghanistan is yet to become a priority state for the United States even after fighting the longest war in its history in the country. Despite thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars spent, Washington lauds Islamabad in lieu of holding it accountable for its hypocritical behavior and destructive role in Afghanistan.
On the one hand, the American behavior towards Afghanistan is worrisome, and on the other hand, Afghan political sides have been too bogged down in subduing each other that they have no time to try to thwart vicious Pakistani conspiracies.
While the Taliban, as the actors of a “foreign game”, cannot be expected to safeguard Afghanistan’s best interests, Afghan politicians and political groups that consider themselves representatives of the people are focused on how to stay ahead of the game in the internal rivalries. Short-term and personal interests have completely diverted their attention away from the country’s national and long-term interests. Instead of working for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and prosperity of the country, all of their focus is to secure a political future for their parties. They overlook the menace that if they do not get united, no Afghan side will have a secure political future. Following Trump’s comments, Afghans must have realized that it is the sole responsibility of Afghans to rescue their country. Trump’s absurd and ill-informed statements must serve as the dawn to bring unity among Afghans.