Pakistan needs to have 'realistic approach' to Taliban: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that Pakistan needed to follow a realistic approach towards the Taliban because as "neighbors we have to coexist," adding Islamabad would consider the options available before imposing any conditions.

Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who reached Pakistan on Tuesday on a two-day visit, the foreign minister was asked whether Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban would be "conditions-based".

"Some have the choice of getting up and leaving but we do not. We are neighbors [and] we have to coexist. Geography ties us together so our approach [to the Taliban] has to be somewhat different [and] realistic," Qureshi said.

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The Taliban were on Friday close to forming a government, with the group under intense international scrutiny over their vow to rule Afghanistan with greater tolerance, especially on women's rights.

The Taliban face the enormous challenge of shifting gears from an insurgent group to governing power, days after the United States fully withdrew its troops and ended two decades of war.

While the West has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the Taliban, there were some signs of engagement with the new leaders gathering pace.

Explaining Pakistan's compulsions vis-a-vis Afghanistan, the foreign minister said there are certain realities that we can not ignore such as trade and daily border crossings of thousands of people on both sides.

"Can we block them? No, we can't. Can we regulate them? Yes, we should. Are there risks? Yes, there are organisations there that are not friendly to you or us or anyone so we have to guard against that as well.

“The bulk of Afghanistan's trade passes through Pakistan so could the latter close its border with the former? Would Pakistan be contributing to any ensuing humanitarian crisis as a result?.

"If we have to trade with them then who do we talk to? Engaging with any authority who is in charge is a compulsion that we have to deal with.

"Recognising these challenges, Pakistan has said it is for Afghans to decide about their future. We will engage with a government that has the backing of the people of Afghanistan. Our focus is on it and we want to help the people of Afghanistan because we feel they have suffered for decades and there is a real opportunity for peace after 40 years," added Qureshi.

Taliban close to forming new government in Afghanistan

Explaining the UK's approach to the Taliban, Raab said Britain will not recognise the Taliban as the new government in Kabul but must deal with new realities in Afghanistan and does not want to see its social and economic fabric broken.

Raab said it would not have been possible to evacuate about 15,000 people from Kabul without cooperation with the Taliban, who seized the capital on August 15.

"The approach we're taking is that we don't recognise the Taliban as a government," he said, adding that Britain normally recognised states rather than governments.

"We do see the importance of being able to engage and having a direct line of communication."

Britain's Raab, in Qatar, cites need to engage with Taliban

Raab's comments reflect the balance countries such as Britain and the United States are seeking to strike in the aftermath of the Taliban's lightning victory and the collapse of the Western-backed government in Kabul.

Western countries fear that a looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and an economic collapse could create hundreds of thousands of refugees.

But they are wary of Taliban promises that Afghanistan will not go back to the harsh rule exercised during their last period in power before 2001.

"The Taliban has made a series of undertakings - some of them are positive at the level of words. We need to test them and see if this translates into deeds," Raab added.

"It is important at this stage to set or to judge the Taliban by these early, initial and probably, quite modest, tests and see whether they deliver."

He said Britain had released the first tranche of a 30 million pound ($41.5 million) package of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan's neighbors, which may have to bear the brunt of any large exodus.

Raab added that the aid budget for Afghanistan had been increased to 286 million pounds but future payments would go through aid groups.

Talking about Pakistan's placement in UK's travel red list, Raab said he understood the impact of the issue on British and Pakistani nationals but noted that the UK based its decisions on scientific and technical evidence.

"I also commend the efforts of the government of Pakistan to contain the pandemic [...] we understand this is a sensitive and difficult issue.

"We want to find a way through. No one wants Pakistan off the red list more than I do but we make these decisions on a technical level. I think the smart thing for us to do is to work together to enable that to happen as soon, as safely, and as responsibly as can be done," he said.

Qureshi in his comments on the issue said that he had raised the issue of Pakistan being on the UK's travel red list and steps needed to move Pakistan to the amber list.

"I'm happy there is a technical meeting that has been arranged on Monday. [Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health] Dr Faisal Sultan will be representing Pakistan and putting forward our point of view.

"I have also suggested a number of steps that can be taken to make both sides comfortable on how to deal [with] and overcome this challenge and get Pakistan into the amber list," FM Qureshi said.