US, Pakistani officials in strained talks on Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD – United States and Pakistani officials are gathering Friday amid a worsening narration betwixt the 2 countries arsenic each federation searches for a mode guardant successful Afghanistan nether Taliban rule.

Pakistan has been pressing for greater engagement with the all-male, all-Taliban Cabinet successful Kabul adjacent arsenic it shies distant from immoderate unilateral ceremonial recognition. The South Asian state has urged Washington to merchandise billions of dollars to the Taliban truthful that Afghanistan's caller rulers tin wage salaries of the galore ministries and debar an economical meltdown. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warns specified a clang could unleash a wide migration.

Washington, which spent the amended portion of 2 years negotiating bid with the Taliban, is inactive smarting from its chaotic extremity to 20 years successful Afghanistan and overmuch astir the aftermath remains unclear. The U.S. is softly talking to immoderate Taliban to evacuate American nationals and others. Meanwhile, Republican senators introduced authorities that would authorisation Afghanistan's caller rulers. Images of hopeless men, mostly Afghans, moving alongside departing American C-17 and falling from the instrumentality good person travel to correspond the mayhem of the U.S. withdrawal.

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The caller authorities introduced precocious past period by 22 Republican senators besides calls for sanctions connected Pakistan for providing harmless haven for Taliban. That's raised hackles among Pakistani rulers, who person slammed Washington for seeking and getting Islamabad's assistance to speech bid with the Taliban - adjacent arsenic the U.S. blames Pakistan for its nonaccomplishment successful Afghanistan.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is gathering with the country's almighty service chief, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, considered the starring designer of Pakistan's Afghan strategy portion Pakistan's Foreign Ministry wages the diplomatic battle. Sherman besides is gathering with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arsenic good arsenic Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Close and regular engagement betwixt Pakistan and the United States has ever been mutually beneficial and effectual for stableness successful South Asia," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Asim Iftikhar told reporters connected Thursday successful the capital, Islamabad.

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Sherman met the Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf precocious connected Tuesday but neither broadside revealed accusation connected the substance of the talks different than a vague notation to “developments successful Afghanistan and ways to beforehand practice crossed the bilateral relationship. ”

Pakistan walks a good enactment arsenic it seeks to found a narration with the United States successful a changing region, wherever some Russia and China person expanding power and the Taliban present regularisation successful Afghanistan.

A strident hostile of the U.S.-led alleged “war connected terror,” Khan has assured Pakistanis that Washington would person nary entree to Pakistani territory to motorboat alleged “over-the-horizon” attacks connected Afghanistan.

The Pentagon has warned that Afghanistan could beryllium a menace successful 1 to 2 years. The top menace would look to beryllium from the Islamic State, which are besides Taliban enemies. They person ramped up their attacks connected the Taliban successful caller weeks, adjacent carrying retired a bombing successful the superior arsenic Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid conducted a memorial work for his mother.

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But Pakistan faces beardown absorption among its 220 cardinal radical to immoderate accommodation to Washington to onslaught Afghanistan.

A Gallup Pakistan Poll released precocious Thursday showed that 55% of Pakistanis favored an Islamic authorities akin to the 1 operated by the Taliban successful Afghanistan.

The survey conducted betwixt Aug. 13 and Sept. 5 polled 2,170 men and women successful cities and successful agrarian areas. The mistake borderline is betwixt 2% and 3%.

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