Bill in US senate has put Pakistan on notice, its support to terrorism, Taliban spotlighted

By Arun Joshi The equations between the US and  Pakistan have undergone a tremendous change after the Taliban took over Afghanistan. The US is under no illusion that the Taliban took over  Afghanistan on its own, without the help of Pakistan government and its non-state actors. This has become more than evident in a bill moved by  22 Republican Senators in the House seeking an assessment of Pakistan’s role in bringing Taliban to power, thus negating everything that was done by the US in the country post 9/11. The bill titled,” Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act of 2021”,  seeks to know the role that Pakistan government played.  Islamabad and the terrorist groups and the sanctuary that it provides to the terrorists has come in a sharper focus, and if the bill is passed by the US Congress, it will push Pakistan and Taliban to corner strategically, diplomatically and economically. The  US  Senators have sought an “assessment of support by state and non-state-actors, including the government of Pakistan “ in toppling the Ashraf Ghani government before the fall of  Kabul to the Taliban. It is also focused on “the sanctuary space, financial support, intelligence support, logistics  and medical support, training, equipping and tactical, operational, or strategic  direction  besides the role of government of Pakistan  for the 2021 offensive of the Taliban against the Panjshir Valley and Afghan resistance.” This bill is an indictment of Pakistan government in helping and supporting Taliban in all matters to negate what all the US did in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. It has been pointed out that the United States “invested more than 12 $56,000,000,000 since 2002  efforts to address profound humanitarian needs and help the people of Afghanistan, including women, girls, and religious and ethnic minorities, realize their democratic and  development aspirations.” It also noted that “ despite consistent challenges, United  States humanitarian and development assistance has  helped expand access to education for more than  3,000,000 girls since 2008, reduce maternal and child deaths by more than half since 2000, provide first-time access to safe drinking water for 650,000  people and improved sanitation services for,200,000 people since 2016, and catalyze a 3,000  1 percent increase in per capita gross domestic product between 2002 and 2018.” In their bill, the  Republican Senators have noted their concern: “Following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, those notable achievements are at risk of reversal, the country stands on the verge of economic collapse, and according to the World Food Programme of the United Nations, an estimated 14,000,000 people are ‘‘marching toward starvation’’. The consequences are clear: the passage of the bill will result in crippling sanctions for Pakistan and Taliban. That will also res-establish the fact already known to the world that Pakistan – Taliban and Terrorists form a  deadly triangle. The fact is also there that Taliban and Pakistan are one and both nurture and sponsor terrorists, that poses serious security threat to the Central and South Asian nations. Senators have asked President Joe Biden to constitute a task force with a task of “ identification of areas  where the United States  Government can strengthen diplomatic , economic and defense cooperation with the Government of India, as appropriate to address economic and security challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation  and the Taliban in the region , and an assessment how the changes to India’s security environment resulting from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan  will affect the United States engagement with India.” Pakistan’s foreign office has called it “ unwarranted” and Prime Minister Imran Khan is on an advocacy spree for Taliban and has blamed America for the collapse of the system and the chaos in Afghanistan. Pakistani premier has cautioned the world that Afghanistan may end up in a catastrophic situation if the world doesn’t come to its rescue. Imran Khan has matters worse for his country, first by providing all equipment, arms and jihadis to the Taliban to enable it to capture Afghanistan and now it is blaming the United States for committing the sin of leaving Afghanistan in tatters. But the world, in. particular, the US is not convinced. About the Author: Arun Joshi is a senior journalist based in J&K. He has worked with Hindustan Times, Times of India, Indian Express, and The Tribune. He has authored “ Eyewitness Kashmir: Teetering on Nuclear War” and three other books. DISCLAIMER This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write up have nothing to do with it.