Pak PM Imran Khan calls Antony Blinken’s remark ignorant, says Islamabad treated like a hired gun
Khan said the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan is to engage with the Taliban and incentivise them on issues such as women’s rights and inclusive government.
A day after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would reassess its relationship with Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan called such comments ignorant, saying he has never heard such ignorance. Khan said the Islamabad was used like a hired gun by America.
In his first interview with the CNN, after the Taliban took over, Khan said the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan is to engage with the Taliban and incentivise them on issues such as women’s rights and inclusive government.
Khan revealed that despite being a non-NATO ally, he has not spoken with US President Joe Biden since the Taliban takeover. He said I would imagine he’s very busy, but our relationship with the US is not just dependent on a phone call, it needs to be a multidimensional relationship, said Khan.
On Taliban, Khan said said that the world should give Taliban time on human rights but fears chaos without aid. He said the Taliban are looking for international aid to avoid a crisis, which could be used to push the group in the right direction towards legitimacy. However, he warned that Afghanistan could not be controlled by outside forces.
No puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by the people, he said. So rather than sitting here and thinking that we can control them, we should incentivize them. Because Afghanistan, this current government, clearly feels that without international aid and help, they will not be able to stop this crisis. So we should push them in the right direction.
However, earlier, Pakistan PM had endorsed the Taliban’s advance in the war-torn country, describing it as breaking the shackles of slavery. Now Pakistan wants the world to give some time to understand the Taliban. Khan has also questioned America’s understanding about the same terrorist network Haqqani.
Imran Khan has openly said that ‘the US could never understand the Haqqani network’. Praising the Haqqani network, the former cricketer said- ‘Haqqani is the Pashtun tribe of Pakistan. These people were the Mujahideen who fought the war against the Soviets. Khan was trying to cover up the relationship between Pakistan and Haqqani network.
Meanwhile, commenting on Blinken’s remarks, Khan said Pakistan is now seeking a more pragmatic approach in dealing with Afghanistan”s new leaders. He said we were supposed to make them (the US) win the war in Afghanistan, which we never could.
On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US country will be reassessing its relationship with Pakistan. Blinken was testifying in front of the US foreign affairs committee on the hasty pull-out from the war ravaged country. The US lawmakers said Pakistan’s ISI openly supports Taliban and Haqqani Network, however, it is time to consider stronger relations with India.
Khan has denied US claims that Pakistan harbours terrorists and provide them safe havens.
What are these safe havens? Khan asked. The area of Pakistan along the border of Afghanistan had the heaviest surveillance by the United States drones … surely they would have known if there were any safe havens?
Khan said he cannot destroy his country to fight someone else’s war.
India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.
According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.
The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM
During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.
The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.
The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.
Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request
The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.
According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.
Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.
India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction
The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.
The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.
During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.
Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.
Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.
He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.
“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.
The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.
Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says
Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.
“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.
His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.
The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.
The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.
The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
India and China among major Russian energy buyers
The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.
India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.
The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.
What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?
Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.
The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.
At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.
Bill also extends Iran sanctions law
The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.
The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.
The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.
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