Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that recognising the Afghan Taliban regime will be taken after consultations with regional and international powers as Pakistan does not intend to take a “unilateral decision” in this regard.
Fawad stated this at a press briefing held in Islamabad to apprise the media of decisions taken by the federal cabinet.
About the Taliban’s victory in the war-torn country, he said Pakistan was a responsible part of the international community and its decisions will not be unilateral.
“We are in touch with our friends, both in the region and internationally, and we will decide accordingly,” he said.
The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan also had a detailed discussion with his Turkish counterpart a day ago on the Afghanistan situation, while the US secretary of state had spoken to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Regarding the manner of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, he said: “We are pleased and satisfied that the change [of power] in Afghanistan neither caused any bloodshed nor triggered a war, which is satisfactory.”
He said Pakistan had advised President Ashraf Ghani on a number of occasions in the past that it would be unfeasible for him to run Afghanistan unilaterally. “How could you run the country when a major ethnicity living in that country is not a part of the government?” Fawad questioned.
The minister recalled that Prime Minister Imran, during his recent address in Bajaur, had suggested the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan that enjoyed the trust of all in the country.
