Pakistani national security adviser in Afghanistan, Taliban, security

The international community must commit to Afghanistan to stop it a humanitarian crisis and a security vacuum, said Pakistani national security adviser Moeed Yusuf.

“If the world is not committed to Afghanistan, for the sake of the average Afghan, then what we really say is, ‘We don’t care about a governance collapse, we don’t care about a humanitarian crisis, and we don’t care.’ it matters a security vacuum, “he told CNBC’s Capital Connection on Wednesday.

“If that’s where we want to go, we repeat the mistakes of the 1990s,” he added, referring to the 1990s when ultra-conservative militants ruled most of the country before U.S. forces overthrew the regime in 2001.

Last month, the Taliban returned to power after the civilian government in Afghanistan collapsed as the United States withdrew its forces from there.

The Taliban have a history of imposing restrictions on women, brutally oppressing minority groups, banning music and television, and executing public executions.

Most of the world did not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government when they came to power from 1996 to 2001 and limited their diplomatic ties with Afghanistan during that time. Pakistan was one of the few countries then recognized by the Taliban government.

Pakistan does not tell the world whether it should support the Taliban or not, Yusuf said.

Instead, Pakistan hopes that the international community will engage with Afghanistan when a new government is formed and will discuss how to ensure inclusive and moderate government, respect for human rights and prevent terrorism from taking place in Afghanistan. Afghan land.

“That’s what the world says, that’s what the US says, so if that’s true, how are we going to get there without involving terrestrial reality?” Yusuf said.

To be clear, the Taliban are now the main interest groups in Afghanistan; therefore, any formed government would have its strong support.

Pakistan has long been accused of covertly aiding the Taliban during its insurgency in Afghanistan for the past 20 years, while also being an ally of the United States, a charge that Pakistan denies and that Yusuf he describes it as “absurd”.

According to the media, Pakistan is also concerned about possible security threats looming in Afghanistan.

Yusuf warned that if there is a security gap in Afghanistan, it could be filled by “undesirable elements” and that it would affect the whole world. There would also be a refugee crisis, he added.

“Afghans are not commodities. They are human beings,” Yusuf said. “There are already millions of refugees. Instead of talking about another refugee crisis, another security crisis, let’s make sure we avoid them.”

Most nations are waiting to see what kind of government the Taliban will form.

Countries such as China, Russia and India have already held diplomatic talks with the group.

The militant group has tried to distance itself from its past brutalities, as global recognition could give them access to international aid that Afghanistan desperately needs. Since returning to power, the Taliban have promised rights to women and the press, as well as amnesty for government officials allied with the U.S. government. But many remain skeptical about the Taliban’s new guarantees.