Pakistan needs the Taliban to reassure that the Afghan soil will not be used against it, commented Arif Alvi in an interview to Turkey’s TRT World.
He stated that although unexpected, he hoped the situation in Afghanistan would settle down soon. The lack of voilence in Afghanistan was a positive sign. He added that, despite countries fashionably blaming Pakistan for its role in the situation. Pakistan had hosted 4 million Afghan refugees in the past decades. A sign of goodwill between the two countries.
“The blame game needs to end. The swift collapse of the Afghan government has proved that it [the situation] is far beyond roles other countries can play,” he stated.
On the issue of India, he criticised its role of a spoiler by using Afghanistan to perperate terrorism in Pakistan. He referred to the recent bombing in Lahore and the arrest of Kulbhusan Jadhav to emphasize his point.
He mentioned that Turkey and Pakistan had been allies for centuries. They shared perspective on the issues of Northern Cyprus and illegaly occupied Kashmir. Similarly, they are on the same page regarding the Afghan-Taliban situation.
Since the fall of Kabul on Sunday. The international community has accelerated the negotiations with the Taliban in an effort to maintain peace and stability.
