No One Can Win in Afghanistan, Pakistan Warns

WASHINGTON - Pakistan is echoing warnings from Washington that neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban can get what they want if they insist on pushing ahead with military campaigns instead of working to reach an agreement through negotiations.

Fighting between government forces and Taliban fighters has surged in recent weeks, with the August 31 deadline for the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan drawing ever closer, prompting U.S. forces to increase the number of airstrikes in support of the Afghan military. Yet Pakistan’s national security adviser, in Washington for meetings with U.S. officials, said Thursday that a military victory for the Afghan government or the Taliban is simply not realistic. 'No forceful takeover'