Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said it is important to incentivise the Taliban so that the new rulers of Afghanistan fulfil the promises they made after they seized power in Kabul last month. The Taliban are yet to get international recognition.
The heavily armed group have promised an inclusive government, a more moderate form of Islamic rule than that of their previous regime from 1996 to 2001, including respecting women’s rights. However, their recent moves indicate that they are returning to their repressive policies, particularly toward women.
According to an official statement, Khan in an article published in US-based The Washington Post newspaper on Monday said the world desired an inclusive Afghan government, respect for the rights, and commitments that Afghan soil shall never again be used for terrorism.
“Taliban leaders will have greater reason and ability to stick to their promises if they are assured of the consistent humanitarian and development assistance they need to run the government effectively,” he said.
Khan said providing incentives would also give the outside world additional leverage to continue persuading the Taliban to honour their commitments.
“If we do this right, we could achieve what the Doha peace process aimed at all along: an Afghanistan that is no longer a threat to the world, where Afghans can finally dream of peace after four decades of conflict,” he said.
Khan said abandoning Afghanistan as tried before would lead to a meltdown. “Chaos, mass migration and a revived threat of international terror will be natural corollaries. Avoiding this must surely be our global imperative,” he said.
He said Pakistan must not be blamed for the outcome of war in Afghanistan and for the losses of the US and stressed on setting eyes on the future to avoid another conflict.