PM Khan: No alternative to Taliban in Afghanistan

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): The Pakistani premier has renewed his call for the global fraternity to engage with the Taliban, the only option the world has in Afghanistan.

“No other alternative to Taliban in Afghanistan. The only option the world has right now is to engage with the Taliban,” Imran Khan said in an interview on Sunday.

Speaking exclusive to CNN, he spoke on Pakistan’s diplomatic relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the current state of the war on terror and other issues.

Sooner or later, Khan believed, the world would have to recognise the Taliban. Doing so would be in the interest of the well-being and future of 40 million Afghans.

The prime minister noted: “Forty million people in Afghanistan are in dire straits because of the ongoing situation in their country.”

The Americans should understand that disliking the Taliban government was one thing but thinking about the welfare of the Afghans was another, he argued.

He warned: “Afghanistan is on the verge of experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis. Considering the circumstances, is there any other alternative to the Taliban in Afghanistan? No, there isn’t.”

In response to a query, he said Pakistan, already hosting three million Afghan refugees, did not have the capacity to accept more.

He insisted: “The Afghan people are being severely affected by the non-recognition of the Taliban government and the freezing of their banking system.”

The US-led war on terror had backfired and increased the number of terrorists worldwide, Khan claimed, saying over 80,000 Pakistani citizens had lost their lives during the war.

He continued: “Pakistan had to bear the brunt of the war in Afghanistan by witnessing numerous suicide attacks. The US must reconsider its policy on carrying out drone attacks.”

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