ISLAMABAD: Naimat Khan, 24, a university student in Rawalpindi, is resettled in Pakistan as a registered refugee from Afghanistan with his family.
Over the years he has seen his motherland going through ups and downs, he hopes that the new authority will work to end the miseries of the Afghan people.
“Afghanistan suffered a lot during the last 20 years, but I hope that the Taliban will take good steps to end the worries of people. They should think about creating business opportunities to give financial relief to the cash-strapped people and will work on improving the law and order of the country,” Khan told Xinhua.
He said the new authority will have to face many challenges, but the Taliban should realize that the people of Afghanistan have suffered a lot since the US-led war in Afghanistan, and now they want a sigh of relief so they should give them time to adapt to the new laws.
Pakistani experts believe that the irresponsible and hasty withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan has not only made things tough for the people of Afghanistan but also created a refugee crisis by displacing over half a million Afghans.
“The United States should shoulder the responsibility of refugees and provide them financial support in order to somewhat clear the mess it has created. It should realize why the people are suffering,” former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar told Xinhua.
About 2.7 million Afghan refugees have been living in Pakistan for decades, some of them were born here and had never been to Afghanistan, but like their parents, they also want to see a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.
Zahir Khan, a Pakistan-born Afghan refugee, is a cab driver in Islamabad. He lives in a refugee camp on the outskirts of the capital, and like other people in the camp, he also hopes that the Taliban will bring harmony and openness to join the ranks of modern nations of the world.
“We all are hopeful that the situation will improve. All schools and colleges will be opened. We have hopes from the Taliban that girls will be able to go to school. And the females will be allowed to perform their jobs and duties, under the Sharia Law (the Islamic Law), as Taliban claimed,” Khan told Xinhua.
Experts opine that due to the multi-ethnic nature of the Afghan society, it is necessary for the Taliban to form an inclusive government with representation from all groups.
Rustom Shah Mohmand, a former diplomat and political scientist, said the Taliban came with absolute power this time. They took control of Kabul without any violence and are now trying to solve the Panjshir issue which means the resistance, through talks. “This is commendable.”
“For a sustainable peace in Afghanistan, the Taliban should also make an inclusive political structure with due representation of all ethnic groups, besides working on social warfare, health, education and other projects to improve the lives of the people of Afghanistan,” he added.
Since the US troops started to pull out of Afghanistan on May 1, the Taliban has been advancing quickly on the battlefield. During the past two weeks, the group has captured most parts of Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul.
