At least 10,000 to 15,000 Pakistani terrorists were in Afghanistan as part of a full-scale invasion, planned and supported by Pakistan, Ashraf Ghani had told US President Joe Biden during their last phone call on July 23, weeks before the fall of Kabul and the Ghani government. “Mr President, we are facing a full-scale invasion, composed of Taliban, full Pakistani planning and logistical support, and at least 10-15,000 international terrorists, predominantly Pakistanis thrown into this, so that dimension needs to be taken account of,’ Ghani told Biden, as reported by Reuters. The news agency accessed a transcript of the phone call and authenticated the 14-minute conversation.
From the conversation, Reuters deciphered that neither Biden nor Ghani at that time could anticipate the imminent fall of the government as Biden talked about providing close air support to Afghanistan, while Ghani emphasised the need to move with speed.
‘Best military’: What Joe Biden told Ashraf Ghani in their last phone call on July 23
Afghanistan government officials, the former vice president Amrullah Saleh etc have been repeatedly pointing to Pakistan’s support for the Taliban, which Pakistan ministers have been refuting vehemently.
Pakistan featured in the conversation of Ghani and Biden on July 23 as Biden advised Ghani to attempt to change the perception of people by announcing to the world that Afghanistan has a plan to counter the Taliban offensive. To this, Ghani presented the bigger picture to Biden and explained that it was not only Taliban, there was full Pakistani planning and logistical support and around 10 to 15,000 international terrorists, predominantly Pakistanis thrown into this.
Within weeks, the Taliban reached Kabul on August 15 prompting a collapse of the Ghani government. A day before, however, Ghani addressed the nation and assured the Afghans that he would mobilise the army, only to leave the country the very next day when the Taliban reached Kabul.
On July 23 itself, Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, General Mark Milley and U.S. Central Command commander General Frank McKenzie spoke to Ghani.
In July, both Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan PM Imran Khan exchanged barbs at the inaugural ceremony of the Central and South Asia connectivity in Uzbekistan, where Ghani said Pakistan was opening supporting and celebrating the Taliban’s advances. “President Ghani, let me just say that the country that will be most affected by turmoil in Afghanistan is Pakistan. Pakistan suffered 70,000 casualties in the last 15 years. The last thing Pakistan wants is more conflict,” Imran Khan had said in reply.
