�WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2021) The Taliban movement will face sanctions and isolation from the United States and its allies if it obstructs efforts to reach a peace deal in Afghanistan, US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said during a congressional hearing.
"But if they obstruct a negotiated settlement and instead pursue a military takeover, they will be opposed not only by the United States but by our allies, partners, and the region. They will face isolation, regional opposition, sanctions, and international opprobrium," Khalilzad told the US� Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.
Countries in the region have a shared interest in ensuring a stable Afghanistan and partners like Pakistan must do more to keep the Taliban from pursuing a military takeover of the country, Khalilzad said.
Pakistani leaders understand their country will face grave consequences if neighboring Afghanistan should erupt into a civil war between the Taliban and Afghan government, Khalilzad added.
The Special Envoy mentioned repeatedly that he does not believe the government of Afghanistan will collapse after the United States and NATO withdraw ground forces by May 1.
Moreover, the United States is developing contingency plans to prepare for a potential refugee crisis in Afghanistan should the country descend into a civil war after US and NATO forces leave, Khalilzad said, adding that the current plans have not been finalized yet.
The deployment of UN peacekeepers in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American forces is a possibility, but it hasn't come up yet, Khalilzad told the Senate panel.
The US envoy added that the United States asked the United Nations to play a more active role in "promoting, facilitating" the peace process in Afghanistan.
The Afghan peace agreement reached by the United States and the opposition Taliban movement was the best possible deal under the given circumstances, Khalilzad said.
Khalilzad said the United States would be caught in a war with the Taliban if US leaders decided to remain in Afghanistan for more than a year.
