Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Pakistan reacts to draft bill introduced by US senators

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reacted strongly to the draft bill introduced by some US senators during a debate in Washington to examine the circumstances leading to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson stated in his response to media queries about the draft bill introduced in the US Senate, “We see that a debate is underway in Washington both in the media and on Capitol Hill to reflect on and examine the circumstances leading to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

“The draft legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate by a group of Senate Republicans seems to be a reaction to this debate.”

“The legislation includes references to Pakistan that are completely unwarranted. We find all such references inconsistent with the spirit of Pakistan-U.S. cooperation on Afghanistan since 2001, including facilitation of the Afghan peace process and during the recent evacuations of American and other nationals from Afghanistan,” the statement read.

The FO spokesperson said, “Pakistan has consistently maintained that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Similarly, a coercive approach will not work and the only way to achieve long term sustainable peace in Afghanistan is through engagement and dialogue.”

“Moreover, sustained security cooperation between Pakistan and the United States would remain critical in dealing with any future terrorist threat in the region. Such proposed legislative measures are, therefore, uncalled for and counterproductive,” it added.