US wants Pakistan to play its role for peaceful Afghanistan: Blinken

US wants Pakistan to play its role for peaceful Afghanistan: Blinken

NEW DELHI (Web Desk) - US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, while acknowledging Pakistan s role in Afghanistan, said that it has a vital role in influencing the Taliban and the United States hopes that Islamabad plays that role.

According to foreign media, Secretary Blinken, who completed his two-day visit to India on Thursday, met External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and reviewed the latest developments in the region, particularly in Afghanistan, with them.

“Pakistan has a vital role to play in using its influence with the Taliban to do whatever it can to make sure that the Taliban does not seek to take the country by force,” the top US diplomat told the Times of India channel. “And it does have influence, and it does have a role to play, and we hope that it plays it,” he said while talking to Indian media.

Earlier, in a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart, Blinken said in response to a question about Afghanistan that the United States would continue to support the Afghan security forces and the Kabul government.

Certainly what we have been seeing on the ground in recent weeks is that the Taliban are advancing towards district centers, challenging many of Afghanistan s provincial capitals. We are also seeing reports of atrocities committed by the Taliban in these areas which are a matter of deep concern and certainly do not show the Taliban s good intentions for the whole country.

The Secretary of State said China s growing interest in Afghanistan could be a "positive thing." If Beijing wants a peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict and a government with real representation there, the United States will welcome China s role.