Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday said that Pakistan would take decision about recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan after consultations with regional and international powers, especially China, Turkey and the United States of America.
While briefing media about decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, the minister lauded the peaceful change in Afghanistan and said that Pakistan would not take any unilateral decision about recognising the Taliban government, adding that Islamabad is in close contact with the global powers in this regard.
Pakistan hopes that the Taliban would not allow the use of their land against Pakistan and any other country, he said, adding that Islamabad remained committed to an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan as the way forward.
He said Pakistan believes that the Taliban would adhere to respecting and protecting human rights in Afghanistan.
Regarding the manner of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, he said, “We are pleased and satisfied that the change [of power] in Afghanistan neither caused any bloodshed nor triggered a war, which is satisfactory.”
The minister said that Pakistan had earlier asked former Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani to establish a broad-based government by including other stakeholders in his government.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had also urged the former Afghan government to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan, he added.
Meanwhile, according to Dawn, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during a press conference said that Pakistan requires clarity on “political thought and policy” in the wake of the developing situation in Afghanistan.
Talking about the recognition of any government in Afghanistan, Bilawal said that it is too soon for such a decision as the situation has not fully matured. “No one should be rushing to take any such actions at the moment,” he said.
The PPP leader also criticised the prime minister and said, “When your prime minister stands on the floor of the National Assembly and is ready to call terrorists ‘martyrs’ then it is very sad [and] not something to celebrate.”
He called for the implementation of the National Action Plan, with “no compromise from the government on terrorism and no appeasement for terrorists”.
