Pakistan wants world to develop roadmap for Taliban’s recognition

Pakistan wants the world to develop a roadmap that leads to diplomatic recognition of the Taliban and then engage them to discuss it.

“If they live up to those expectations, they will make it easier for themselves, they will get acceptability, which is needed for identifying,” said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

He suggested the idea Wednesday while speaking with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s meeting of world leaders.

“At the same time, the world has to realize: What other alternatives or options they have.”

Qureshi said, “Pakistan is in sync with the world” to have a peaceful and stable Afghanistan with no terrorism, and for the Taliban to ensure “that Afghanistan is never used again against any country.”

“We are saying, be more realistic in your approach,” he stressed. “Try a new way of dealing with them.”

Qureshi said the Afghan government might be encouraged by getting development, economic, and reconstruction assistance to recover from the war.

He urged the United States, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other nations that have frozen Afghanistan’s funds to release the money for promoting normalcy in the country.

Qureshi said Pakistan was ready to play a “constructive and positive” role in this regard because it would be for peace.

“It has to be a realistic assessment and a logical view on both sides to set the tone for recognition,” added the minister.

According to Qureshi, the Taliban were listening. “They are not insensitive to what is being said by neighbors and the world.”

He said the world now could sit and work out a roadmap.

“And if they fulfill those expectations, this is what the world can do to help them stabilize their economy. This is how they can help rebuild Afghanistan.”

Qureshi believed that things were going the right way in the war-torn country.

“Soon after gaining power on August 15, Pakistan was told that the law-and-order situation has gone better, fighting has stopped, and many internally displaced Afghans are going home.”

“That’s a positive sign,” Qureshi stressed.

When asked how he sees Afghanistan in the next six months, Qureshi replied, “Can you guarantee me US behavior over the next six months?”