ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is using the Taliban to influence the situationin Afghanistan “through terrorism and violence”, former headof intelligence Amrullah Saleh who was close to India, told the HindustanTimes newspaper.
“This is a rotten policy which has widened the gulf of mistrust and it hasdeprived both countries from enormous economic opportunities which can beutilised if peace and trust prevails”, Saleh pointed out.
Describing Pakistan as the Taliban’s “first home”, he referred to the factthat Taliban leaders engaging in negotiations with the US in Doha flyto the Qatari capital from Karachi or Islamabad.
“Sometimes they are provided with special flights arranged by the PakistanAir Force”, Saleh said.
He dubbed the Taliban leadership council, commonly known as Quetta Shura,“a network of persons scattered in major Pakistani cities” and used as“headquarters to strategise and coordinate”.
When asked to comment on the Pakistani PM’s recent call to form an interimgovernment in Afghanistan, Saleh claimed that Islamabad has repeatedlytried “either to install a puppet clerical regime in Kabul or keep itas weak as possible”.
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The goal is “to derail the Afghan constitutional order. Contrary to theirrhetoric the Pakistani establishment sees its interest in chaosin Afghanistan. The statement of PM Khan was just an outburst of a covertpolicy going on for years”, Saleh argued.
He called for “normal, good and friendly relations” between Afghanistan andPakistan, warning Islamabad not to pursue a policy of the so-called“strategic depth” which Saleh claimed is “truly odd and won’t work” becauseit relies on “bloodshed, violence, terrorism and blackmail”.
The interview came after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan saidon Saturday that an interim government should be installed in Afghanistanto facilitate the Afghan peace process in the run-up to the nationalelections in the war-torn country scheduled for September 28.
