Amrullah Saleh: Pakistan Brought the Taliban to Kabul Through Fabricated Narratives

Amrullah Saleh, former Vice President of Afghanistan, has accused Pakistan of facilitating the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul by promoting fabricated narratives. Saleh claimed that General Pervez Musharraf, the former head of Pakistan’s military and ex-leader of the country, played a key role in crafting Islamabad’s multi-layered strategy toward Afghanistan. He described it as a game in which Pakistan received financial aid from the West while simultaneously strengthening the Taliban and other extremist groups to serve its geopolitical objectives.

According to Saleh, two main factors led to the West remaining silent on Pakistan’s duplicitous policy. First, the Pentagon’s involvement in overseeing Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities prompted it to overlook other actions by Islamabad. Second, after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the CIA reportedly reached an unofficial truce with the Taliban, which helped reduce U.S. casualties in Afghanistan after 2014.

Saleh also criticized NATO’s policies during that period, stating that even in the final days before the fall of the Afghan Republic, NATO prevented the legitimate Afghan government from accessing explosive devices and other equipment. Meanwhile, the Taliban faced no such restrictions and expanded their attacks without impediment.

He stressed that one of Pakistan’s most effective tactics was the creation of false narratives about Afghanistan’s ethnic composition. These narratives exaggerated ethnic tensions and disseminated misleading information regarding the demographic makeup and the roles of specific ethnic groups in the security forces. As an example, he cited the widely circulated claim that 500 generals from Panjshir were in the army, calling it a fabrication and noting that few could actually name even a handful of them.

Saleh noted that, with generous support from both domestic and foreign sources, Pakistan ultimately succeeded in helping the Taliban enter Kabul. However, he added that the reasons behind the recent deterioration of the historically close relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan warrant separate discussion and analysis.

He concluded on a darkly humorous note, suggesting that the personal troubles he may have caused Musharraf could have contributed to the former Pakistani leader’s death—something that he said gives him a sense of satisfaction.