Hidden agenda

The US and the UK have started a new war against Afghanistan in the form of sanctions from global financial institutions. In addition, Washington has frozen almost $9.5 billion of Afghanistan's assets. A peaceful Afghanistan is the gateway between Central and South Asia, and is vital to the realisation of China's global economic vision. That is why the US and its Western allies will never allow peace in the region.

The US will create divisions among Afghan warlords, which will result in social unrest. These sanctions and isolation can lead to only two possible outcomes. First, Afghanistan will be pushed into the arms of China. Second, sanctions will deepen the existing splits within the Taliban and could quickly drive the hardliners into power to generate an alliance with local factions and IS-K. Washington and its allies have thrown their lofty ideals of human rights to the wind. What is clear today is that that the policies of the US and its allies are tailor-made to create divisions among the Taliban.

Abid Mahmud Ansari

Islamabad