Pakistan’s negative role in Afghanistan criticised by Tony Blair

London, Aug 22 (UNI) Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday pointed to Pakistan’s negative role in Afghanistan while slamming the US for its decision to withdraw from Afghanistan amid the Taliban takeover of the country.

In an essay titled, ‘Why We Must Not Abandon the People of Afghanistan – For Their Sakes and Ours ‘, Blair writes that while Afghanistan was hard to govern during the past 20 years and Pakistan played a role in destabilizing the country.

“Afghanistan was hard to govern all through the 20 years of our time there. And of course, there were mistakes and miscalculations. But we shouldn’t dupe ourselves into thinking it was ever going to be anything other than tough, when there was an internal insurgency combining with external support – in this case, Pakistan – to destabilize the country and thwart its progress.”

At the August 19, UNSC briefing on counter terrorism, chaired by India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said, in an oblique reference to Pakistan: “Whether it is in Afghanistan or against India, groups like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to operate with both impunity and encouragement”.

Jaishankar had stressed that it is important that the Security Council does not take a selective, or complacent view of the problems we face.

“We must never countenance sanctuaries for terrorists or overlook their raising of resources,” Jaishankar had said.

In another section of his long essay, Blair, while writing about the growing influence of radical Islam around the world, writes: “Even more moderate Muslim nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia have, over a period of decades, seen their politics become more Islamic in practice and discourse.

“Look no further than Pakistan’s prime minister congratulating the Taliban on their “victory” to see that although, of course, many of those espousing Islamism are opposed to violence, they share ideological characteristics with many of those who use it – and a world view that is constantly presenting Islam as under siege from the West.”

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as “breaking the chains of slavery”.

Talking about English as a medium of education and the subsequent absorption of culture, Imran Khan said, “You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery”.