WASHINGTON: The United States has said that it wants Pakistan and China to help evolve “some sort of political settlement” in Afghanistan even though the Taliban now effectively control the country.

Asked at a Thursday afternoon news briefing what Washington wanted from Pakistan now, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the United States wanted all neighbouring states to help stabilise Afghanistan.

“The point we’ve made to all of Afghanistan’s neighbours is that it is in everyone’s interest to do what we can to secure or to help facilitate stability, security, some sort of political settlement,” he said.

Biden administration in touch with all of Afghanistan’s neighbours for bringing peace

Countries bordering Afghanistan also faced a particular challenge, refugees leaving Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, he said, adding “We have continued to encourage countries in the region to be welcoming of the most vulnerable – those who are seeking a better life”.

The US official said that the Biden administration was in touch with all of Afghanistan’s neighbours to coordinate international efforts for bringing peace and stability.

“Whether it is Pakistan, whether it is the PRC (China), whether it is other countries in the region that have a stake in Afghanistan, we have continued to have constructive conversations with all of them on this,” he said.

Mr Price acknowledged that “when it comes to China, obviously our interests are rarely aligned, but we have had good conversations about the (Afg­han) situation going forward” and both countries wanted this conversation to continue.

“We’ll continue to discuss … with partners in the region what we can do to support the humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan,” he said.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken telephoned Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and discussed the situation in Afghanistan with him as well.

A statement issued in Islamabad said Mr Qureshi assured Mr Blinken that Pakistan would remain actively engaged with the US and other international partners in “promoting efforts for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan”.

The foreign minister stressed the importance of an “inclusive political settlement” in Afghanistan and the need for the US to continue economic engagement with the country, the statement added.

According to a tweet rele­ased on Friday, Pakistan’s US envoy Asad Majeed Khan told a US magazine that “today, there’s a complete convergence” between the United States and Pakistan on Afghanistan.

“You want the parties to get to a mutual understanding. We want that too. You want the violence reduced. We want that too. You want the violence reduced. We want that too. And like you, we want the gains of the past preserved as well,” he said.

This “convergence of interest”, he said, extended to the Troika Plus nations -- Pakistan, China, the US and Russia -- as well who were also working for a regional consensus on Afghanistan.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram said that Pakistan was working with the international community in resettling Afghan refugees. Pakistan, he said, had already evacuated 1,100 people from Kabul, including diplomats, diplomatic staff, workers of international agencies and journalists.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2021