The Washington Post :
Imran Khan, a onetime cricket star, led the life of a glamorous playboy before he turned to Pakistani politics. This summer, after years in the opposition and then as a member of the coalition government in Islamabad, he finally captured the premiership. He inherits it with a daunting list of challenges for his country, including poverty, terrorism and corruption. This past week, President Donald Trump – who has traded Twitter barbs with Khan and cut military assistance to Pakistan – asked him to help bring the Afghan Taliban to peace talks. On the porch outside his home here, he gave his first foreign interview as prime minister to The Washington Post’s Lally Weymouth. Edited excerpts follow.
Q. What are you planning to do about your country’s relationship with the U.S., which has been deteriorating and has involved a social media war with the president? He wrote in January that “the United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
A. It was not really a Twitter war, it was just setting the record right. [Khan wrote on the site this fall: “He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US’s war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests.”] The exchange was about being blamed for deeply flawed U.S. policies – the military approach to Afghanistan.
Q. He wasn’t blaming you. He was blaming your predecessors.
A. No, he was saying Pakistan was the reason for these sanctuaries [for Taliban leaders]. There are no sanctuaries in Pakistan.
Q. Every U.S. official says there are Taliban leaders living in Pakistan.
A. When I came into power, I got a complete briefing from the security forces. They said that we have time and time again asked the Americans, “Can you tell us where the sanctuaries are, and we will go after them?” There are no sanctuaries in Pakistan.
Q. Do you believe that?
A. We have 2.7 million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan. They live in big refugee camps.
Q. But the Americans aren’t stupid, come on.
A. But where are these people? Our border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has the greatest amount of surveillance. The U.S. has satellites and drones. These people crossing would be seen.
Q. The U.S. government is saying it would just like Pakistan to cut it out.
A. First, there are no sanctuaries. If there are a few hundred, maybe 2,000 to 3,000 Taliban who move into Pakistan, they could easily move into these Afghan refugee camps.
Q. President Trump wrote you a letter this week asking for your assistance in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. What is your reply?
A. Peace in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s interest. We will do everything.
