Islamabad: When it comes to mastering the art of gaffes and backtracking, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is invincible. Days after his consistent jibes at US President Joe Biden for the latter’s ‘goof-ups’ in Afghanistan, Khan now has words of empathy for Biden.
In an interview with Russian broadcaster RT, Khan identified with Biden’s predicament on withdrawal of US troops from the Afghan soil after the Taliban insurgency.
“How can you prepare for that? So there was so much unfair criticism of President Biden, and what he did was the most sensible thing to do,” said Khan.
On his equation with Biden, he added, “Our security chiefs keep exchanging views about Afghanistan.”
The Pakistan PM wants the US to form a strategy anticipating a human crisis brewing. “There will be far-reaching consequences in terms of the refugee problem, which Pakistan and Iran will feel more as they have taken more number of refugees,” he warned adding the US had a big role to play because of its 20-year link with the embattled country and it was terrorism that forced the US to attack Afghanistan.
“What would be the achievement if Afghan soil becomes a place for terrorists again? We should not let Afghanistan drift towards another crisis,” Khan said admitting that his country had to pay a heavy price for supporting USA in the latter’s counter-terrorism measures in Afghanistan.
According to him, it antagonised the mujahideen forces, the Pakistani intelligence helped set up as part of the anti-Soviet campaign of the US in Afghanistan.
