ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Tuesday, said that Pakistan has succeeded in convincing the international community that “isolating Taliban would be a wrong while engaging with them would be a right approach.”

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, the foreign minister said Pakistan played a constructive role with sincerity in conveying the concerns of the international community to the Taliban and the interim Afghan government, as well as conveying the expectations of the Afghan government to the world community.

He said that the international community wanted that the Taliban should guarantee protection of the rights of women, children and the minorities, adding that during his visit to Kabul last month he asked the Taliban leadership and the government that addressing the concerns of the world community would be in their best interest.

“We have been able in convincing the international community that isolating the Taliban would not be wise approach while engaging with them would be a right policy,” Qureshi said, adding that the international community is ready to play its part.

He said that Pakistan also engaged with all the Afghan groups other than those inclined towards India.

Qureshi said that the political leadership of the Taliban can understand the concerns of the international community, particularly, with regard to women education, while those returned from the mountains would take some time.

He said that the interim set up is in favour of women education, but they said that they do not have money to pay salaries to the teaching staff.

The foreign minister further stated that the United States, the European Union, and Afghanistan’s neighbours in the region are key partners in efforts for the restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“We should make efforts and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past,” he said, adding that the new US administration initially took a number of steps, as there was a lot of pressure on the Biden administration.

“Due to the pressure, President was looking at Pakistan as a scapegoat to allay his fears,” he said, adding that Pakistan tried to persuade the US to maintain its relationship with Afghanistan.

He said that it was conveyed to the US that if it remains disengage, there might be a space for terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, he added that Pakistan also engaged the neighbours of Afghanistan which provided an opportunity to share each other’s concerns.

He said that Pakistan shared its perspective and appraised them about the benefits of restoration of peace in Afghanistan and the negative impacts in case of any chaos in the war-ravaged country.

He said that the most sensitive in this regard was Tajikistan, which believes that there are 46 percent Afghan with Tajik ethnicity living in Afghanistan, while Pakistan believes that the population of Afghans with Tajik ethnicity is 22 percent in Afghanistan.

“We held open discussions with Tajik president and convinced that about the constructive role the neighbouring countries can play,” he said.

He said that after the evacuation, some opponents with Tajik ethnicity fled to Tajikistan and there were concerns that they may create an anti-front in Tajikistan, adding that efforts are also being made that no such front is opened.

The foreign minister said that after the Taliban takeover of the Kabul, India being a spoiler made every effort through launching a campaign to sanction Pakistan, but it failed miserably.

He said that Pakistan also have launched a campaign on social media to counter the Indian propaganda.

“India is playing as a spoiler and it is misleading the world that Ashraf Ghani government was good enough and it’s delivering. But we saw what happened after August 15, 2021, Ghani and his security adviser Muhibullah Muhib fled to Tajikistan via a helicopter,” he said, adding that Pakistan cannot be blamed for the failure of the then Ghani government and the mass surrender of the Afghan forces.

While referring to worst human rights violation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Qureshi questioned India as well as the international community as to why they are selective in their approach towards the human rights violation.

“Whether the formula of human rights only on Afghanistan, why don’t they see the continued worst human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he questioned.

The foreign minister further stated that Pakistan is engaged under a number of forums, including the most important one – Troika Plus.

He said that the during the recent meeting in Islamabad productive discussions were held about the future of Afghanistan.

He said that China would be hosting the next Troika Plus meeting and efforts are made to also invite representatives of the interim Afghan government to the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021