‘Afghan instability means more terrorism, refugees for Pakistan’

WASHINGTON: The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in working together in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf said, but pointed out that it will require fixing the bilateral relationship by "moving past their problems.

“Afghan instability could lead to more terrorism, refugees and economic hardship for Pakistan," he said in a phone interview with The Washington Post columnist, Josh Rogin, whose opinion piece appeared in the newspaper on Thursday under the headline: Pakistan wants to be treated like an ally, not a scapegoat. Columnist Rogin argued that instead of engaging with Pakistan, the country is being indicted in American media coverage for its alleged support of the Taliban over the years, and he proposed that the US "seriously consider Pakistan’s offer of cooperation. “Right now, in the situation we are in, how are US and Pakistan’s interests not aligned?” Moeed Yusuf asked in the interview, which Rogin worked into his column. "I’m not asking for any sympathy for Pakistan," the NSA said. "I’m thinking in terms of pure US selfish national interests. How does it help to push away a country of this size, stature and power?" he asked.

Pakistani officials point out that tens of thousands of Pakistani soldiers have died fighting extremists in their own country since 9/11. “Pakistan is the victim. We had nothing to do with 9/11. We teamed up with the US to fight back and after that there is a major backlash on Pakistan,” Moeed Yusuf said.