US finds Pakistan useful only in Afghan peace process: PM Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has made it clear that Pakistan will not provide airbases to the United States (US) for strikes in Afghanistan, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Talking to foreign journalists at his home in Islamabad, PM Imran Khan said Pakistan convinced the Taliban for talks with the Afghan government and brought them on the table for negotiations, but the behaviour of Ashraf Ghani shows that he is not ready for talks.

“Seems like Ghani is trying to convince the US for another intervention,” he said.

Pakistan is just considered only to be useful in the context of the Afghan peace process, as the US has made India its strategic partner, he added.

“I think that the Americans have decided that India is their strategic partner now, and I think that’s why there’s a different way of treating Pakistan now,” Khan said.

Read more: Anarchy in Afghanistan will directly affect Pakistan: PM Imran

A political settlement in Afghanistan was looking difficult under current conditions, Khan said and added that the US was trying for a military solution of Afghanistan, but failed miserably.

The premier said Pakistan had “made it very clear” that it does not want any American military bases in Pakistan after US forces exit Afghanistan.

US forces have continued to use airstrikes to support Afghan forces against Taliban advances, but it remains unclear if such support will continue after Aug. 31.