Afghanistan cannot keep up with a “puppet government” and the Taliban can only be “encouraged” to work in the “right direction,” Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday. Pakistan has been repeatedly accused of trying to interfere in the affairs of the country after the Taliban took control; getting the Haqqani to participate in the government or helping the militants to take Panjshir.
In an interview with Becky Anderson on CNN, Khan spoke about women’s rights in Afghanistan, what constitutes “freedom” for the devastated country and more. Khan said no one could predict the future of Afghanistan.
“We can wait and pray for peace after 40 years. And that the Taliban want an inclusive government. They want women’s rights in their own context. They want human rights. They have granted amnesty. Thus, with what they have said so far, it is clear that they want international acceptability. They didn’t bet on international acceptability between 1962 and 2001, ”Khan said.
But this time, Khan said, as the Taliban made such statements, they should be encouraged in that direction. “But there is another fallacy of Afghanistan, which cannot be controlled from the outside. They have a history like that,” he said.
“People do not support any puppet government in Afghanistan. It is discredited among the people. So instead of sitting here and thinking we can control them, we should encourage them, ”he said.
He said the current government clearly felt that without international aid and assistance they could not stop this crisis. “Therefore, we should encourage them. Push them in the right direction, ”he said.
Speaking of critics arguing that the Taliban will destabilize the country, Khan pointed to the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, which ended in a “bloodbath.” Khan said he expected a similar massacre once U.S. forces marched.
“Our intelligence agencies told us that the Taliban could not take over all of Afghanistan and if they tried to take Afghanistan militarily, there would be a protracted civil war, which is what scared us because we are the ones who “The country will suffer the most,” Khan said, saying that now the world should “give them time” to form a legitimate government and “fulfill its promises”.
“Women will get their rights”
Since taking control, the militant organization has tried to improve its international position by promising to protect human rights, especially those of women and girls, and to allow journalists to continue their work. Women, on the other hand, have been excluded from the Taliban’s interim administration and have been ordered to stay at home in some areas and their schooling has been restricted.
“It is a mistake to think that someone outside will give rights to Afghan women. Afghan women are strong. Give them time. They will get their rights, ”Khan told CNN.
“Women should have the capacity of a society to fulfill their potential in life,” she said, adding, “In Pakistan, what we have done is that we have actually paid stipends to poor families because girls they study in school because we feel that if the girls, if the girl studies, if they have an education, they will get their own rights. “
However, many in the international world remain skeptical that the Taliban will move forward in guaranteeing women’s rights. The Taliban, who controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 but were ousted by a U.S.-led invasion, have long seen women as second-class citizens, subjecting them to abuse, forced marriages and a mostly invisible presence in the country.
Read here all the latest news, breaking news and news about coronavirus