US war on terror bred 'terrorism,' Pakistan PM says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the United States’ (US) war on terror “actually bred terrorists” in different countries of the world, including Pakistan.
The prime minister was responding to a question about terrorism in the broader Middle East region during an interview with journalist Fareed Zakaria on CNN.
PM Khan cited the example of his own country, where he said 80,000 people died after Pakistan sided with the US in the war on terror.
“Well, the US War on Terror actually bred terrorists. I can tell you from Pakistan’s example because Pakistan, by joining the US, we had 80,000 people dying in this, uh, the US War on Terror,” he said.
“And we saw the war, as it went along, and it produced more terrorists. And I am convinced it is exactly the same [as to] what happened in Afghanistan. Because these night raids in Afghanistan, these drone attacks.”
The Pakistani prime minister said the US “must review” its policy of drone strikes.
“We watched what happened here. They were telling people in the US that drones were very accurate and.. they actually got the terrorists,” he lamented.
“Bombs exploding in villages, you know how, how would they get only terrorists?“
PM Khan said he was afraid that people in the US didn’t know the amount of collateral damage in these drone strikes.
He said Pakistan, being a US ally, bore the brunt of these attacks in the form of revenge attacks.
“We bore the brunt because what happened was we were considered collaborators of the US. So, all the revenge attacks were against the Pakistani soldiers, the people of Pakistan,” the Pakistani premier said.
“There were suicide attacks going all over the country. We lost 80,000 people, but the US left.”
He said Islamabad turned into a fortress during the height of the conflict and suicide took place everywhere in Pakistan.
Compared to what used to happen, terrorism was almost insignificant now, PM Khan added.
About the situation in Afghanistan, he said the US must understand that disliking the Taliban government was one thing, but it was a question of almost 40 million Afghans. 
“Half of them are in a very precarious situation,” the prime minister said. “They are facing winter, there are food shortages, malnutrition. The next couple of months, everyone is worried they could be the worst, already developing into one of the worst humanitarian crises.”
He said there was no alternative to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan at present, neither there was a possibility of a “change for the better.”
“The only alternative we have right now is to work with them and incentivize them in what the world wants, inclusive government, human rights, women rights,” PM Khan said.
“That’s the only way forward right now.”
He argued the flip side of abandoning the Afghan people or continuing sanctions was that Afghanistan could go into chaos.
“We already have 3 million Afghan refugees, three terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan into Pakistan,” he said, mentioning the Pakistani Taliban, Baloch insurgents and Daesh.
“Our best hope is that a stable Afghanistan will ensure stability or peace in Pakistan. It’s in everyone’s interest that it doesn’t descend into chaos.”
The Pakistani premier maintained that sooner or later the world would have to recognize the Taliban government.
Not recognizing them and freezing their accounts would only bring suffering to half the population of Afghanistan, he said.