- Title: Pakistan urges look into failures of Afghan forces as Taliban advances
- Date: 9th August 2021
- Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (AUGUST 9, 2021) (REUTERS) PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER, SHAH MEHMOOD QURESHI, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SITTING DOWN NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS JOURNALISTS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER, SHAH MEHMOOD QURESHI, SAYING: "I think the world should ponder... and see... that the amount of money spent, where has it gone? The capacity building, the training, the equipment, where is it? The lack of will to fight, the capitulation that we are seeing in Afghanistan, can we be held responsible for that? No we cannot, and we should not. Now, should Pakistan be held responsible for failures of others? No. We will not be apologetic. We will articulate our point of view nationally, internationally, because we have been sincere.'' JOURNALISTS SEATED JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES ON CELL PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER, SHAH MEHMOOD QURESHI, SAYING: ''Unfortunately, if Afghanistan remains unstable, we have nothing to gain, we have everything to lose. And we have paid a huge price. Let the world know that Pakistan has been a victim. The people of Pakistan have suffered. The price that we have paid has to be understood. We've had close to 80,000 casualties. We've suffered huge economic losses. The world should not be oblivious of that.'' NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING, QURESHI AND OFFICIALS WALKING AWAY EXTERIOR OF FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2021 21:08
- Keywords: Afghan forces Afghanistan Pakistan meltdown
- Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- City: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001EPK3Y9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
Pakistan on Monday (August 9) said the international community needed to look into the failures of Afghan security forces in the face of Taliban offensives across Afghanistan, instead of blaming Pakistan for the fast-deteriorating situation.
Taliban fighters have swiftly gained territory across Afghanistan since May, including six provincial capitals in the last three days, as international forces near a complete withdrawal from the country after 20 years of fighting.
"The capacity-building, the training, the equipment... where is it?" Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said at a news conference, referring to resources spent by the international community, particularly the United States, on bolstering Afghan national forces.
Pakistan cannot be held responsible for the failure of others, he said.
Kabul and several western governments say Pakistan's support for the Taliban allowed it to weather 20 years of war after being pushed from power in 2001 by a U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. The group today controls more territory than that at any point since 2001.
Pakistan denies supporting the Taliban. Qureshi said Islamabad was not taking sides in Afghanistan.
"The lack of will to fight, the capitulation that we are seeing in Afghanistan... can we be held responsible for that? No, we cannot," Qureshi said, adding that Pakistan supported a political solution to bring peace to Afghanistan.
Qureshi said Islamabad was concerned at the violence and the lack of progress in peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, saying that Pakistan had most to lose from an unstable Afghanistan as a direct neighbour.
(Production: Salah Uddin, Sheree Sardar) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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