WASHINGTON: There was ‘surprise and frustration’ in Washington when Kabul fell to the Taliban but gradually, they understood the situation, says Pakistan’s US Amba­ssador Asad Majeed Khan.

“Obviously, it came as a surprise for everybody, contrary to the intelligence estimates here and earlier than anybody had expected,” said the outgoing ambassador, explaining why Washington reacted so strongly to the fall.

Ambassador Khan, the longest serving Pakistani diplomat in the US, leaves for Islamabad on Thursday from where he will head to Brussels as his country’s new envoy for the European Union, Belgium and Lux­embourg.

He served as Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington from Jan 7, 2019, to March 24, 2022. He has also served in Washington as the deputy chief of mission for four years and spent six years in New York, including as a diplomat at Pakistan’s UN Mission.

Pakistan’s outgoing envoy in Washington says Ukrainian crisis won’t divert world’s attention from challenges in Afghanistan

Asked to define the most difficult issue he handled in Washington, Mr Khan acknowledged that the Afghan issue was difficult but pointed out that “both sides have never shied away from addressing problems”. And this (US-Pakistan) “has never been an easy relationship,” he added. The United States and Pakistan, he said, have had a “clear convergence” in Afghanistan because “the US is as much interested in peace and stability in Afghanistan as we are”.

Mr Khan represented Pakistan in Washington during much of the Doha talks between the United States and the Taliban that were facilitated by Pakistan. The talks ended on a peace deal that led to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and consequently to Kabul’s fall to the Taliban.

“Our job was to articulate and convey our national position to Washington and to listen to the concerns expressed here and explain how Islamabad looked at developments in Afghanistan,” he said.

The embassy, however, was not involved in arranging the visits of Taliban officials to Doha as that was handled by Islamabad, he added.

Ambassador Khan said that Pakistan’s key role in facilitating the evacuation of those wishing to leave Afghanistan also helped improve bilateral ties after the fall of Kabul.

“We saw appreciation for Pakistan’s positive contribution during the peace process and dealing with the aftermath of the Taliban takeover,” he said. “People understood that the international community must come together to stabilise Afgha­nistan as Pakistan alone cannot do this.”

Ambassador Khan hoped that the Ukrainian crisis would not drive the world’s attention away from the humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan.

Asked if the embassy was ever asked to arrange a telephone call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Imran Khan, Ambassador Khan said: “You don’t make formal phone call requests. Leaders do get in touch on issues and such possibilities are explored. But it is dependent on the convenience of the leaders.”

Mr Khan also said that telephone “calls should not be a yardstick for any relationship, and certainly not for US-Pakistan ties”. The relationship, he noted, has been moving at its pace and there have been regular contact between the national security advisers, cabinet ministers and the military leaderships of the two countries.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2022