Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, U.S. Secretary of State Discuss Leftover American Weapons in Afghanistan
Islamabad– Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation focused on the issue of leftover U.S. military equipment in Afghanistan.
In an official statement, the Ministry said the two sides discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation, with particular attention to the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
“Secretary Rubio agreed on the need to address the issue of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan,” the statement noted.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly called on Washington to take concrete steps regarding the military hardware left after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2021. Reports indicate that much of the equipment is now under the control of the Taliban.
Last month, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated during a press conference that the United States may consider retrieving some of the leftover equipment, although he stated that many of these weapons are becoming obsolete.
The issue of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan has become a growing concern for regional security players, including Pakistan. Islamabad has on several occasions blamed the presence of these weapons in Taliban hands for contributing to rising violence and insecurity along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
