The National Security Council (NSC) of Pakistan that met following the Taliban take-over of Kabul had reiterated Pakistan's commitment to an to an all-inclusive political settlement as the way forward by giving representation to all Afghans belonging to diverse ethnicities and religious minorities. The military and civilian leadership had also expressed their commitment to human rights, particularly women's right to education and work.

It is about time the government exerted some pressure on Taliban to form an all-inclusive government in this landlocked country without any further loss of time. In other words, the Taliban 2.0 must show to the world that they are indeed vastly different from the Taliban 1.0.

Rasheed Minhas (Rawalpindi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021