Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani emphasized the need for continued engagement with the Islamic Emirate as he addressed a panel discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.
Al Thani criticized a number of the recent actions the current government took but said that engagement with the Islamic Emirate was the only way to bring change in Afghanistan.
“From the beginning, we have been trying our best to reach out to them either directly by us, but also by other countries in the region and especially, the Muslim countries where we see them playing a major role in such issues, especially the social and the economic issues for Afghanistan,” Qatar’s foreign minister said.
“We have been trying even to reach out to Kandahar and to have a dialogue with them. Until now we didn’t succeed. We are in continuous consultation with the other countries in the region and some Muslim countries in order to reach out to them as a group of countries and to talk to them about these issues,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, said in a meeting with some members of the Belgian Parliament that interaction with the Islamic Emirate will benefit the people of Afghanistan.
“Met Belgian parliamentarians who are members of Pakistan-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group. Discussed concerns about several issues, including developments in Afghanistan and their impact on people. We understand that engagement with Kabul will benefit the people of Afghanistan,” Sadiq said in a tweet.
Kabul praised the remarks by Qatar’s foreign minister and said that all problems should be resolved through dialogue.
“It is a fact that there should be interaction with the Islamic Emirate, and all issues should be assessed and discussed. Some concerns, particularly about humanitarian issues, should not be used as a tool for political pressure,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.
Analysts said that there is a need for the Islamic Emirate to listen to the people’s voices as well, besides its engagement with the world.
“Not only should the world engage with the Taliban, but the Islamic Emirate should also pay attention to the voices of the people and the world because today’s world is like a village and the laws of the village must be observed,” said Abdul Malik Afghan, a political analyst.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan should also strengthen diplomatic connections with the outside world to break this political and economic barrier,” said Ahmad Khan Andar, a political analyst.
This comes as 17 months have passed since the Islamic Emirate has come to power, but so far no country has recognized the current government of Afghanistan. But some countries have opened their embassies in Afghanistan to maintain relations with the current government.
