President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday said that the announcement of the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan will require that Pakistan make a decision about whether to opt for cooperation or enmity with its neighbor.
Addressing police force members at a gathering at the Presidential Palace on Sunday, President Ghani said that with the announcement of the withdrawal of international troops, the best opportunity has been provided to Afghanistan in modern history.
“After two years, we are fully prepared for the day and we have a comprehensive plan for their withdrawal,” Ghani said.
“Today, it is a day of decision for Pakistan,” Ghani said. “If our country is destabilized, their country will also be unstable and if they (Pakistan) want our improvement, they will also improve.”
Ghani said that “the choice of friendship and enmity” is in Pakistan’s hands.
He made similar remarks at an online event on Thursday.
“For Pakistan, it is a decision of destiny. Will it opt for regional cooperation, international partnership, and regional prosperity through joint efforts, or will it give way to the forces ... to support and sustain the Taliban and the wave of extremism for which Pakistan next to Afghanistan has probably paid the highest price? So, it is a moment of decision. We will need to watch.”
He added that the Afghan government is committed to talks and that it is now up to the Taliban to act.
The United States has announced that all its troops will be out of Afghanistan by September 11.