US will make mistake if it blames Pakistan for Afghanistan blunder: Asad Umar

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has warned the US that it will make another mistake if it tries to cover up its blunders in Afghanistan by blaming and using Pakistan as a "scapegoat".

In a series of tweets on Friday, the minister said that after invading Afghanistan for 20 years, the US has abruptly decided to cut losses and leave the country. He further said even before the US's complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, the imposed structure started to melt, adding that "it must be very frustrating for the US and it feels like it should need a scapegoat".

However, he warned that it will be yet another mistake if those in the US pushing for this policy stance succeed to try and cover up their strategic blunders by blaming Pakistan.

It is unfair to blame Pakistan for crisis in Afghanistan, says PM

"Pakistan has been and continues to be an agent for stability in the region. All involved should work together for peace," he tweeted.

He further said that it was time to stop listening to the few corrupt leaders in the Afghan government.

"Their inability to carry the afghan nation with them is the reason they are weak & isolated," Umar tweeted.

"Global & regional players should not sacrifice the interest of the Afghan nation for these few corrupt leaders."

Violence in Afghanistan has escalated sharply as the US pulls out its troops by August 31, with the Taliban taking control of more territories.

On Thursday, in an interview with BBC, National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf had rejected the allegations of supporting the Afghan Taliban. He referred to the recent social media trends such as #SanctionPakistan, saying that the accounts used in the trends were from Afghanistan and India.

Responding further to allegations of cross-border movement of terrorists, the NSA said that Pakistan had shared various proposals with the Afghan government, including strict border management.

NSA rejects Taliban support allegations

“You say people move from here [Pakistan]. Let me tell you, Pakistan has fenced the entire border. Pakistan has said [to the Afghan government], let’s put biometric, so that we know every single person crossing. Afghanistan government refused. Fencing, they opposed,” he added.

On Friday, the Taliban captured Afghanistan's second-biggest city of Kandahar.

Taliban capture Afghanistan's second biggest city of Kandahar

"Following heavy clashes late last night the Taliban took control of Kandahar city," a local government official told Reuters after the militants announced they had taken it.

Till early Friday, government forces were still in control of Kandahar's airport, which was the US military's second biggest base in Afghanistan during their 20-year mission.

The Afghan conflict has escalated dramatically since May, when US-led forces began the final stage of a troop withdrawal due to end later this month following a 20-year occupation.

Afghan Taliban move closer to capital after taking Ghazni city

The loss of the city of Ghazni, which fell earlier, will likely pile more pressure on the country's already overstretched airforce, needed to bolster Afghanistan's scattered security forces who have increasingly been cut off from reinforcements by road.

In less than a week the insurgents have seized 10 provincial capitals and have now encircled the biggest city in the north, the traditional anti-Taliban bastion of Mazar-i-Sharif.