Nabil Warns Afghan Politicians Against Becoming Tools of Pakistan or External Powers
Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, has warned Afghan politicians not to become instruments of Pakistan or other external powers in their opposition or engagement with the Taliban administration. He stressed that past experiences have shown that whenever Afghans have been used in regional power games, the consequence has been the devastation of the country.
In his recent statement, Nabil referred to remarks by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who said the United States treated Pakistan like “used toilet paper.” According to Nabil, just as Pakistan was utilized by the US, Islamabad has also exploited the mujahideen and later the Taliban at various times to advance its own goals.
The former intelligence chief added that he is aware of talks, deals, and some partnerships between certain politicians and the Taliban administration but warned that this should not lead Afghanistan once again down a path of dependency and externally imposed decisions. He emphasized that the country’s fate must be determined by the will of the Afghan people, not by outside interests.
Nabil also stated that Afghanistan’s salvation is possible only when access to power is not based on “ethnicity” but rather on “citizenship” and equal participation of all citizens in the political structure. These remarks come amid widespread criticism of the Taliban administration over political participation and the lack of inclusiveness in the power structure—issues that remain one of the fundamental challenges for the country’s political future.
