Shah Mahmood Qureshi affirms Pak's commitment to play constructive role in Afghanistan

Amid the Afghanistan crisis, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on August 21 spoke to the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen. While taking to Twitter, Qureshi informed that during the phone call, he affirmed Pakistan’s shared commitment to continue playing a constructive role for sustainable peace in the war-torn country. He also emphasised the importance of the international community to stay engaged and support the Afghan economy, reconstruction and rehabilitation. 

Qureshi to visit Taliban controlled-Afghan 

Qureshi phone call with Yousef bin Ahmad comes after it was reported that the Pakistan foreign minister will be the first guest of the Taliban after the insurgent group took over multiple provinces in Afghanistan. He will reportedly visit Kabul on Sunday, August 22. He is expected to facilitate negotiations between the Taliban and Hazara and Tajik leaders. Both ethnic groups practice Shia Islam and have faced long-term discrimination and abuse in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, Qureshi had said that the propaganda by the Ashraf Ghani administration against the Taliban is false, calling out that the insurgents have announced a general amnesty across the country and are not barring girls' education. Evidence of this on the ground is absent, however. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had also shown his support to the Taliban openly. He said that the Afghans had "broken the shackles of slavery" while describing the Taliban's 'triumph' over Kabul.

However, later, the Pakistani government made a U-turn on the Afghanistan crisis saying it will not recognize the Taliban government in the war-torn country as of yet. Imran Khan’s government has been condemned for supporting the insurgents throughout their march in the South Asian country. After the Taliban captured Kabul on Sunday which triggered concerns of safety of women and children, he said, “You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery”. 

(Image: AP)