Afghanistan issue behind US invitation to Pak for Climate Summit, say experts

The United States has invited Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam as a distinguished speaker on Leaders Summit on Climate change. However, experts opined that the withdrawal of US troops from Afganishtan was one of the reasons behind the decision, reports correspondent Chandrakala Choudhury.

New Delhi:Ahead of the Climate summit slated to be held on April 22 and 23, the United States has invited Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam to be a distinguished speaker at the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate after an earlier snub. US President Joe Biden, will be hosting the Climate summit virtually.

Former ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar opines that the US realizes that it will continue to need Pakistan for some time at least as far as withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is concerned.

“The decision by the United States to invite Islamabad is a sort of a carrot that has been thrown in front of Pakistan. The United States wants to keep Pakistan in good humour, so they extended the invitation. Currently, the utility of Pakistan to the United States is because of Biden's interest in withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by September 11; therefore, it is in this context that the United States needs Pakistan to some extent. Also, Pakistan has a population of more than 200 billion which means the country is the biggest contributor to pollution in the world and also its commitment to go for greener energies would be required, as we move forward in terms of dealing with the climate crisis", Sajjanhar told ETV Bharat.

Earlier, Biden ignored Pakistan and refrained from inviting them to his government’s first-ever summit on climate change. Mr Biden had invited 40 world leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan to name a few. The decision by the Biden administration had raised eyebrows as the country is among the most vulnerable to climate change. Pakistan is ranked as one of the 10 most vulnerable nations.

“It is in the broader context as well as in terms of climate change, the United States is nudging Pakistan for contributing towards greener energy and also using their good offices as far as the reach out to the Taliban is concerned so that the withdrawal is peaceful”, Sajjanhar added.

“On behalf of the President of the United States, it is my pleasure to invite you to be a distinguished speaker at the virtual Summit on Climate. We would like to ask you to join other Ministers and leaders on April 22 in a discussion focused on climate adaptation and resilience,” US special envoy John Kerry stated in a letter addressed to Pakistan’s special assistant to PM on climate change. The United States has also expressed a desire to work with Pakistan on the climate crisis.

Professor Harsh V Pant, Director, Research, ORF, said, “The United States is trying to ensure that Pakistan civilian authority is not further degraded because, at the moment, Pakistan is facing a lot of challenges economically, socially or politically. It seems to be almost the collapse of the civilian authority given what is happening on the ground in Pakistan. So to salvage the situation, perhaps, the US has decided that shoring up the legitimacy of the civilian government is important, therefore, they have invited Pakistan.

Certainly, the Afghanistan issue would also have been at the back of their mind. Afghanistan is an important factor for the US as it prepares to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and where potentially Pakistani military establishment plays a destabilizing role. So the hook might be the US would work with the Pak authorities and develop a relationship with them to ensure that they continue to work with America towards stabilizing Afghanistan”, Pant pointed out.

Afghanistan can be a focus of US-Pakistan climate cooperation. Moreover, Washington believes that better ties between Kabul and Islamabad enhance peace prospects in Afghanistan.

Earlier, reacting to Pakistan’s omission, Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a tweet, “I am puzzled at the cacophony over Pak not being invited to a climate change conf! My govt's environment policies are driven solely by our commitment to our future generations of a clean & green Pakistan to mitigate the impact of climate change”.

According to the statement issued by the white house, President Biden took action his first day in office to return the United States to the Paris Agreement. Days later, on January 27, he announced that he would soon convene a leaders’ summit to galvanize efforts by the major economies to tackle the climate crisis.

The Leaders Summit on Climate will underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.