Taliban let the world down, says FM Ishaq Dar 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that the situation in Afghanistan demanded the world’s continuous attention, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Afghanistan Contact Group meeting, Dar said that August 15, 2021 turned out to be a turning point for Afghanistan when the Taliban took over. “At that time, Pakistan was the first country, which opened its doors for the people of Afghanistan,” he said, adding at that time it was hoped that the Taliban would fulfill their commitments they had made to the world. “The Taliban will eliminate terrorism and promote political participation. They will protect the rights of their people.”

However, the FM lamented, unfortunately that did not happen as the new rulers in Afghanistan neither came up to the expectations of the OIC member states nor of the world. “The Taliban failed to benefit from the opportunity to better the living standards of the people of Afghanistan. This was because their priorities and ideology were different.” 

Dar said that, however, the OIC’s member states, the country’s neighbours could help it become a part of the world community. “However, for that, the Taliban will have to create a conducive environment,” he said, adding that for that, they would have to take concrete steps so that terrorism against neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, from Afghan soil could stop.  

Pakistan’s stance, the FM went on to say, was that the incidents of terrorism committed on its soil were planned in Afghanistan. “Such attacks enjoy the patronage of external elements the purpose of which is to destabilize the region.”

He said that Pakistan had serious concern over the presence of over two dozen terrorist outfits in Afghanistan. “TTP, Daesh, Baloch Liberation Army, Majeed Brigade, ISIL Khurasan, Al-Qaeda, and East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) are among these outfits,” Dar said, adding that Pakistan considered these organizations a threat to regional and world peace.   

The FM said that Pakistan's law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) had given immense sacrifices in war against terrorism. “Similarly, ordinary citizens, too, are being killed in these attacks,” he said, adding that only last week, a suicide bomber exploded himself at a mosque in Kohat, in which at least ordinary Pakistanis were martyred. 

Dar said that Pakistan was thankful to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for trying to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “These countries have made sincere efforts to convince the Taliban to find an acceptable solution to its dispute with Pakistan.”

The FM opined that the OIC could play a key role in dealing with the situation in Afghanistan. “This Contact Group should push the Taliban for the elimination of terrorism from the Afghan soil. The Taliban must end the patronage of terrorist outfits.”

Dar also demanded the Taliban to end to all kinds of smuggling, including human smuggling; lift restrictions on women and girls, which were against the Islamic principles.  

The FM also demanded the Taliban to include all ethnic groups as well as minority groups in their government.

He said that no other country desired peace and stability in Afghanistan more than Pakistan. “No country has been as much affected by instability in Afghanistan than Pakistan.”

Speaking at the OIC’s Contact Group meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, Dar said that the people of Kashmir had been waiting for the last eight decades to get their right of self-determination in light of the UN resolutions.

He said he was thankful to the OIC’s Contact Group and the Human Rights Commission for supporting the Kashmiris.

Dar accused India of changing the ratio of population in the occupied Kashmir following its August 5, 2019 illegal act.

Reporter: Anwar Abbas