Pakistan urges US Afghanistan war commission to hear its side of 20-year conflict

Pakistan's military leadership formally urged a US congressional panel reviewing the 20-year Afghan war to incorporate Islamabad's perspective, emphasizing its heavy security burden and Taliban blowback. The request came during a meeting at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi with the US Afghanistan War Commission delegation.

Pakistan's military leadership formally urged the US Afghanistan War Commission to incorporate Islamabad's account of the 20-year Afghan conflict into its evaluation. The request came during a high-level meeting at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where a delegation of the bipartisan commission, co-chaired by Shamila N. Chaudhary and Dr. Colin F. Jackson, called on Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), discussions centered on Pakistan's historical support, regional security dynamics, and developments inside Afghanistan. Military leaders stressed the heavy security burden Pakistan faced during the prolonged conflict, arguing that any assessment must consider regional perspectives. The US delegation acknowledged Islamabad's sacrifices and contributions to regional stability, even as Pakistan grapples with security blowback from the Taliban regime it helped bring to power five years ago. Pakistan's account emphasizes its role as a key US ally providing logistical support, supply routes, and counterterrorism cooperation, while bearing heavy human and security costs. Islamabad argues that the Taliban's return to power in 2021 has led to a significant deterioration in Pakistan's security environment, with cross-border militancy intensifying, particularly from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The engagement came days after Pakistan launched precision cross-border airstrikes against terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan.