Imran Khan urges global community to ‘stay engaged’ with Taliban

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 18 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan who has publically endorsed the recent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan said that his country is reaching out to all “Afghan leaders” and urged other countries to “stay engaged”, to economically support people in the war-ravaged country

Khan who on Tuesday received telephone calls from his British counterpart, Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel highlighted the positive role that Pakistan played in facilitating the evacuation of diplomatic personnel and staff of international organisations and others from Afghanistan, Dawn reported.

He also underlined that an inclusive political settlement was the best way forward, during his conversation, it further reported. Apart from the Afghanistan issue, Khan also highlighted the extensive measures taken by Pakistan to contain COVID-19 and said relevant data had been shared with the UK and called for the removal of Pakistan from the red list of the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took a jibe at Khan over the current situation in Afghanistan and said that country could not afford any more U-turns regarding the neighbouring country. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that EU will cooperate with any future Afghan government only if it respects the fundamental rights of all Afghans and prevents the use of Afghanistan’s territory by “terrorist organisations”.

Pakistan has been globally accused of sheltering the Taliban in the country. Taliban took over the country on Sunday. Earlier on Tuesday, the Taliban had announced a “general amnesty” for all Afghan government officials and urged them to return to work, including women corresponding with Sharia law. The Taliban leaders are discussing future government plans in Doha and are in touch with the international community and intra-Afghan parties to make government in Afghanistan.

The world is closely watching the unfolding situation in Afghanistan as the countries have scrambled to evacuate its citizen from Afghanistan in an attempt to secure their people. (ANI)