https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/28/pakistan-foreign-minister-warns-against-isolating-taliban
Pakistan’s foreign minister wants the world to engage with the Taliban, warning of dangerous consequences if Afghanistan’s rulers are again isolated.
In an interview with AFP news agency on Tuesday during a visit to Washington, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari cautioned against creating “parallel governance” after the United States, distrustful of the Taliban, put Afghanistan’s frozen assets in a professional fund in Switzerland.
“We have learned from the past that when we wash our hands and turn our backs, we end up creating unintended consequences and more problems for ourselves,” Bhutto Zardari said.
“I believe that our concerns of an economic collapse, of an exodus of refugees, of a threat of new recruits for (armed) organisations … outweigh concerns that there may be about their financial institutions.”
Afghanistan has been reeling from a humanitarian crisis with more than half of the population facing hunger, amid Western-imposed sanctions, as well as the freezing of humanitarian aid and nearly $10bn in Afghan central bank assets.
The United Nations has said it is increasingly concerned that restrictions on girls’ education, as well as other measures curtailing basic freedoms, would deepen Afghanistan’s economic crisis and lead to greater insecurity, poverty, and isolation.
Bhutto Zardari said the Afghanistan rulers needed “political space” on concerns such as women’s rights, which have been sharply curtailed.
“Throughout history, theocratic, autocratic regimes haven’t exactly tended to expand rights at times of economic strife,” he added. “In fact, they tend to hold on to cultural issues and other issues to engage their population.”…
The Biden administration on Monday announced $10m in food aid for Pakistan on top of more than $56m in flood relief and humanitarian assistance this year….
Pakistan’s foreign minister wants the world to engage with the Taliban, warning of dangerous consequences if Afghanistan’s rulers are again isolated.
In an interview with AFP news agency on Tuesday during a visit to Washington, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari cautioned against creating “parallel governance” after the United States, distrustful of the Taliban, put Afghanistan’s frozen assets in a professional fund in Switzerland.
“We have learned from the past that when we wash our hands and turn our backs, we end up creating unintended consequences and more problems for ourselves,” Bhutto Zardari said.
“I believe that our concerns of an economic collapse, of an exodus of refugees, of a threat of new recruits for (armed) organisations … outweigh concerns that there may be about their financial institutions.”
Afghanistan has been reeling from a humanitarian crisis with more than half of the population facing hunger, amid Western-imposed sanctions, as well as the freezing of humanitarian aid and nearly $10bn in Afghan central bank assets.
The United Nations has said it is increasingly concerned that restrictions on girls’ education, as well as other measures curtailing basic freedoms, would deepen Afghanistan’s economic crisis and lead to greater insecurity, poverty, and isolation.
Bhutto Zardari said the Afghanistan rulers needed “political space” on concerns such as women’s rights, which have been sharply curtailed.
“Throughout history, theocratic, autocratic regimes haven’t exactly tended to expand rights at times of economic strife,” he added. “In fact, they tend to hold on to cultural issues and other issues to engage their population.”…
The Biden administration on Monday announced $10m in food aid for Pakistan on top of more than $56m in flood relief and humanitarian assistance this year….
