Trump visit to Afghanistan: Skipping stopover in Islamabad shows Washington's lack of interest

US President Donald Trump visited Afghanistan for the first time on November 28, 2019 and skipped a stopover in Islamabad which is being viewed as Washington's lack of interest in deepening bilateral ties.

President Trump paid a surprise visit to US troops stationed in Afghanistan at Bagram on Thanksgiving, besides meeting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

During his three and a half hour stay in Afghanistan, President Trump announced the reopening of stalled peace talks with the Taliban.

Following the footprint of his predecessor Barack Obama, President Trump skipped a stopover in Islamabad which could have provided him an opportunity to exchange views with Prime Minister Imran Khan on the peace efforts in Afghanistan, in which Pakistan is a key facilitator.

"US presidents usually pay unannounced visits to Afghanistan due to security situation in that country. Islamabad is much more secure than Bagram for hosting the US President", a government official said, adding that had President Trump visited Pakistan, it could have been a good opportunity for exchanging views with Pakistani leadership not only on the Afghan peace process, but also on other bilateral ties.

President Obama in his two terms - January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017 - conducted four visits to Afghanistan, but without a single stopover in Islamabad, as ties between the two countries remained hostage to mutual trust deficit.

Unlike Trump and Obama, President George W. Bush visited Pakistan on March 3-4, 2006 and held talks with the then President Pervez Musharraf. Bush arrived in Islamabad after his trip to Afghanistan on March 1, 2006 and India from March 1-3, 2006.