Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in an interview with CNN said the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan is to engage with the Taliban.
According to Khan, Afghanistan is likely to have peace and stability after 40 years of instability if the Taliban manage to form an inclusive government, and said the situation might get worse if an inclusive government is not formed.
“The Taliban hold all of Afghanistan and if they can sort of now work towards an inclusive government, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 years. But if it goes wrong and which is what we are really worried about, it could go to chaos. The biggest humanitarian crisis, a huge refugee problem,” Khan said, CNN reported.
Khan also said the international community should incentivize the Taliban on issues such as women’s rights and forming an inclusive government, adding that the Taliban are looking for international aid to avoid a crisis in the country.
Khan also has said that no external force can control Afghanistan: “No puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by the people.”
Khan’s remarks come as the US special envoy for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad said the former president Ashraf Ghani’s escape from the country had ruined a last-minute deal.
