Daily Times

US President Donald Trump will never cease to amaze. He is right, in a way, when he says to the media that their business runs because of him. A new day, a new tweet, or a new statement laced with controversy, it seems as if Trump has lost relevance as a serious player on the global stage. Now he has called Afghanistan a “lab for terrorists”. Talking to Fox New, the channel he seems to be partial to, he said, “I call it [Afghanistan] the Harvard of terrorists.” Harvard University is the pride of the USA, and a wished-for destinations of scholars. Rationale for bracketing it with terrorism evades common sense. Timing of the interview is highly insensitive, if not sinister, as it was reportedly recorded before terrorists killed six people and wounded 105 in a truck attack in Kabul. Terrorists carried out the horrific act when Taliban leaders were having the seventh round of talks in Qatar with the US Special Peace Envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad. So much for the dialogue process.

At present, the worst challenge to regional stability is Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, but Trump and his peace envoy think they can manage it even after pulling troops off the land-locked country. This is something, Trump admits in the same interview, his army generals have warned him about. “Sir, I’d rather attack them over there than attack them in our land,” Trump quoted an army officer as saying. In the event of the US pullout, no one will be able to govern Kabul well. Now is the time that the US and other world powers should start accepting the reality, and understand that the repercussions of Taliban rule, be it partial or full, will not be felt only by the US or Pakistan, the whole world will face the music.

Europe and China need to be prepared for the post-US pullout situation in Afghanistan. In the recent days, they have proved their mettle dealing with Iran, when it seemed that Iran was going back to uranium enrichment that could have led to another nuke pile on the planet. Pakistan has already set its course, as was evident in words of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa who said that countries prosper when the regions they are located in prosper.

The logical future course of action for Pakistan is regional stability, which lies in a stable Afghanistan. No country understands the importance of secure borders and free trade because of its geographical location better than Pakistan. Now is the time to keep an eye on the future of Afghanistan as Trump has proved his lack of seriousness about it.  *