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Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev on Saturday stated that Pakistan is deliberately fueling tensions with Afghanistan to draw the attention of US President Donald Trump and offer him a chance to broker peace, then ask for favours.
"I think the big game Pakistan is playing is that it is intentionally creating a conflict with Afghanistan, and then taking that war on a silver platter to President Donald Trump and inviting him to broker peace and get him another victory as a peace president of the world," Sachdev said. He added that Pakistan's motive is to get closer to Washington and seek more political and economic favours from the United States. "In the process, Pakistan wants to get closer to the US and ask for more favours..." Sachdev added. When asked if the ongoing tensions could impact India, Sachdev said, "There may be some impact on India, but we should keep this issue separate. Our focus should remain on our own priorities, the economy and defence." He also pointed out that while there seems to be "some miscommunication between India and the US," it reflects Trump's negotiation style. "In the long run, India and the United States remain strategic partners," he added. The remarks come as Afghanistan and Pakistan are holding peace talks in Doha following a fresh round of border clashes along the Durand Line. The Taliban-led Afghan government has accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty, blaming Islamabad for the recent airspace violations and shelling that killed several people. In a statement, Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Acting Foreign Minister Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi held a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss the "violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty by Pakistan." "Afghanistan is not a follower of war, but rather the Pakistani side was the initiator by violating Afghanistan's airspace," the foreign ministry said, adding that negotiations with the Pakistani delegation are underway in Doha under the leadership of Afghanistan's Minister of National Defence. The Iranian minister expressed satisfaction with the start of the talks and offered Tehran's support to help both sides resolve the issue diplomatically. The renewed tension comes a day after US President Donald Trump again claimed credit for "solving" several global conflicts, including the May escalation between India and Pakistan. "I solved eight wars. Go to Rwanda and the Congo, talk about India and Pakistan... Look at all of the wars that we solved," Trump said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. "The Prime Minister of Pakistan said I saved millions of lives. Look at Pakistan and India as an example. That would have been a bad one. Two nuclear nations," he added. (ANI)
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