ISLAMABAD -Pakistan and Taliban plan to take over Afghanistan, Pakistan’sformer ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani says.
He says the Taliban does not believe in elections and that the group isseeking to take over Afghanistan by force once the foreign forces leave thecountry as part of a peace deal.
In an interview with TOLOnews, Haqqani said there is no justification ofcontinuing the talks with the Taliban in the view of a surge in violence inAfghanistan.
He suggested that the US should swiftly suspend the negotiations with thegroup.
“I think that the Taliban’s real intention is to talk to the Americans,have an agreement that will result in an American withdrawal and afterthat, go ahead and take Afghanistan by force,” he said.
Haqqani said that the Taliban would have recognized the legitimacy of thegovernment in Kabul “if they were sincere about peace”.
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“The only way there will be peace in Afghanistan is when all partiescompromise, especially the Taliban, who have been the most uncompromisingso far,” the ex-Pakistani envoy said.
Haqqani said the real peace in Afghanistan will come “when Pakistan’s ISIstops interfering in Afghanistan and when Afghan leaders stop approachingvarious other powers whether it is India, or Iran or Russia or America”.
He also suggested that real peace will happen when Afghans deal withAfghanistan as a sovereign country with full respect.
“I think if the United States announces a withdrawal and Pakistan gets alot of concessions thinking that Pakistan has helped that peace process butthere is no real peace, there is conflict in Afghanistan and then Pakistanhelps the Taliban take over Afghanistan once again. Pakistan will have hadboth things. It will have had the American approval in helping theAmericans withdrawal and it will have its dream which is to controlAfghanistan with the help of proxies. That is what the game seems to be atthis moment,” Haqqani said but added that he hopes Pakistan will sincerelyhelp Afghanistan to achieve peace.
