ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that he has initiated a dialogue with the Taliban for an inclusive Afghan government to include Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks.
In a couple of tweets, the premier said that he took the decision after holding meetings in Dushanbe with leaders of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, adding that he had a lengthy discussion with Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon.
“After 40 years of conflict, this inclusivity will ensure peace & a stable Afghanistan, which is in the interest not only of Afghanistan but the region as well,” he wrote in the tweet.
After 40 years of conflict, this inclusivity will ensure peace & a stable Afghanistan, which is in the interest not only of Afghanistan but the region as well.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 18, 2021
Pakistan has been emphasizing the need to set up an inclusive government since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces.
Earlier, the premier in an interview with Russia Today (RT) warned that instability in the war-torn country may impact all of its neighbors.
He stated that inclusive governance is the best path to peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan was going through a critical period, according to the prime minister, where it will either move toward stability after four decades of wars, or it would go in the wrong direction, resulting in chaos and massive humanitarian and refugee crises that would affect all of the country’s neighbors.
“We think that in the interest of Afghanistan and for long-term stability an inclusive government should be formed to strengthen unity there,” he added.
The prime minister said that Pakistan was working with Afghanistan’s neighbors to identify what the Afghan government should do in order for the international world to recognize it.
He claimed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference was significant since it brought together nearly all of Afghanistan’s neighbors.
He said that Pakistan was a member of the international community and that the Taliban government’s acceptance in Afghanistan would be a major step forward.
From Pakistan’s perspective, he said terrorism was also feared on Afghan territory since three terrorist organizations had previously used Afghan soil for terrorism in Pakistan.
In response to a query, the prime minister said that, despite being a US partner, Pakistan has been the target of 480 drone attacks.
In response to another question, he said that relations between Pakistan and Russia were strengthening and that they intended to strengthen their relationships with Moscow even further. Pakistan’s ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia are similarly good.
