The harsh and undiplomatic government approach towards the United States has terribly affected the bilateral relation which is highly essential to keep the present government on run. After controversy sparked on opening of political office for Taliban in Doha last month, till now nothing has been made to show that the relation is moving back on the track. Afghan officials, instead of trying to restore the relation, have further fuelled the discrepancies through irresponsible statements.

Days ago, chief of staff to President Karzai, Abdul Karim Khurram, claimed that United State was working with the Taliban! He reinforced that view in an interview last week with the Afghan channel 1TV. He openly accused Washington of colluding with Taliban and Pakistan, where the insurgents are sheltered, and they are given orders of whom to attack and when by the Pakistani military. “In the past decade, America used Taliban as tools in this war”.

He continued his statements, claiming that the United States was sending Taliban fighters to aid the Syrian rebels, while, in Afghanistan, the insurgents “kill children in cooperation with Americans.” “Cooperating with America was a failure,” he concluded. He further said that opening of political office of Taliban was collusion by the US to divide the country.

Certainly, such statements are far appropriate to be used for an enemy not an ally that the government owes its very existence to.

No doubt, Afghan government is angry regarding the political office as it felt dejected from the mainstream political negotiation with Taliban militants. Both the name of the office and subsequent brags of Taliban representatives were irritating for all sides in the country which should have been prevented. It was named the office of Emrat-e- Islami of Afghanistan, the name of its government when it was ruling the country from 1994-2001. Of course that was unacceptable; as all political groups and political figures condemned unanimously.

The second issue was the press release Taliban representative made after the opening of the office. They said that peace and war goes hand to hand. They said that the group will not give up fighting and will continue till complete withdrawal of foreign security forces. According to them, Afghanistan was under the occupation and they will fight to liberate it from occupiers.

No doubt, these two issues terribly affected the prestige of Afghan government. And Afghan officials were right to be angry. But instead of venting anger, the issue needed to be investigated if it was the fault of our allies or just and unintentional mistake. Even if it was deliberate mistake by the West, it should not be zoomed in such a manner to push the bilateral relation to brink of collapse as president and his team did or they are currently doing.

Instead of suspending talks over strategic pact with the US, it was wise that officials started effective talks in order not to let such mistakes take place again. However, US President Obama called Afghan President, aimed to appease him and some other American officials also indirectly confessed about the mistake, but no steps held by Afghan officials to restore the relation. Rather they have held steps and made statements which critically endanger the mutual relation.

Thus, such an approach is against the national interest. Afghanistan which otherwise would have changed to one of the most close allies to US out of NATO military structure now is limping behind countries with that US has least willing to work with them. Kabul is on steep road of losing friendly relation with global power whose supports are existentially important for the stability.

Reacting to statements of Abdul Karim Khurram the United States ambassador, James B. Cunningham said, “The allegation that the United States seeks to divide Afghanistan by giving a share to the Taliban is nonsense”. “We have not spent blood and resources, alongside our Afghan comrades, in pursuit of any other purpose than a stable Afghanistan that can provide for the security of its people, strengthen its institutions, and pursue the future which its people deserve.”

I think it was wise that the statements of Karim Khurram were condemned by all sides in Afghanistan; particularly President should have taken a position against it. There is no one to ask and bring Khurram on what account he expressed such baseless claims that seriously put in danger the national interest? How he has reached to such a calculation? If the US is following to divide the country, are Washington officials such stupid to ask for the approval of Taliban and administration of President Karzai? In other words, does Washington want to divide the country through spending billions of dollars and huge military sacrifices to bring peace and stability? Is it the way?

Indeed, if the US follows such a strategy, there is no need of spending billions of dollars which has visible effect on its economy and sending its army to battleground. It is possible only to pull out its security forces and stop pouring cash into empty reserve box of the government. Such a policy will end up to full control of Taliban over eastern provinces because without the support of the US government there is no budget to keep the current security establishment on run.

Thus, I hope our officials should try to have full picture of the ground realities and avoid irritating statements which only weaken the nation and the government not necessarily our allies.