Jalil Afridi
Washington DC: At the press briefing today in U.S. State Department, Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed his belief that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is already designated as a terrorist organization. However, The Frontier Post pointed out that while the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is listed as a terrorist group by the U.S. Justice Department, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is not. Mr. Patel seemed unaware of this discrepancy.
Mr Vedant made this reply to a question asked by The Frontier Post about a bill recently submitted to U.S. Congress by Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace which calls for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to be designated as a terrorist organization.
The Frontier Post also inquired whether the U.S. had lodged any protest with the French government over an alleged insult to Jesus (Prophet Essa, AA) during the Olympics opening ceremony, which purportedly offended both Christians and Muslims. Mr. Patel responded that he was not aware of any such incident and confirmed that it was not an issue the U.S. had raised or intended to raise in the context of the Olympics.
The Frontier Post also asked about the recent political developments in Pakistan, where 93 members of parliament have reportedly joined Imran Khan’s party, PTI. When asked if the U.S. viewed this as a positive development indicating that justice was being served by the Election Commission of Pakistan, following orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan , Mr. Patel reiterated that the U.S. does not take sides in Pakistani domestic politics.
He emphasized that it is for the Pakistani people to decide their political direction. The U.S., he stated, will continue to partner with any government that serves the interests of both the Pakistani people and the United States. The briefing highlighted the U.S. stance on non-interference in the domestic affairs of other nations while underscoring its commitment to maintaining cooperative relationships based on mutual interests.
