Imran Khan tells lawmakers Pakistan has no leverage over Taliban

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan has no leverage over the Taliban group in Afghanistan.

Addressing the National Assembly, Khan said at the moment Pakistan and US interests are the same regarding Afghanistan, and that the US has reached the conclusion that there is no military solution in Afghanistan.

“Now that US is leaving they are asking Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the talks tables but we have no leverage over them (Taliban), except a few of their families live here; can we arrest their [Taliban] families and put them in jail?” Khan said.

Khan also stated that Pakistan respects the peace process and that they do not have “favorites”.

“We do not want any kind of strategic depth in Afghanistan. We do not want any favorites or choose any party in Afghanistan. Afghans are our brothers, and what they want for themselves, we shall support it,” he said.

Khan told the house that he has had meetings with the Afghan leadership, including President Ashraf Ghani, and that he told them “Pakistan wants betterment of Afghan economy for bilateral trade, and want to enhance trade relations with Central Asian nations via Afghanistan by new roads and railway links.”