Taliban govt has to be recognized sooner or later: PM Imran

Taliban govt has to be recognized sooner or later: PM Imran

Pakistan

Pakistan cannot recognize Afghan government on its own.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that there is no other option after than recognizing the Taliban government in Kabul in greater interest of the people of the country.

In an interview, PM Imran Khan said that Pakistan cannot recognize Afghan government on its own and urged the regional countries to play their part. Afghanistan has faced issues for the past 40 years but now the violence has ended in the country, he added.

Responding to a question about human rights situation in Afghanistan, PM Imran Khan said that Afghans are very proud people and no one can push them as they hate outsiders. If western style women rights are being demanded, this is not going to happen in Afghanistan, he added.

Talking about security concerns of Pakistan including TTP and Baloch separatists, PM said Pakistan believes that stable Afghan government will reduce chances of the terrorist organization operating in the country.

He said Pakistan does not want international terrorism to operate from Afghanistan but this can only be done with the help of the Taliban government. We have already lost eighty thousand lives in the war on terrorism and we do not want a conflict with the Afghan government. We will be partners with the US in peace, not in war.

When asked about Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the Prime Minister said the attitude of the BJP government and the RSS towards Pakistan and Kashmir is worrisome. We are dealing with a government that is not rational, whose ideology is based on hatred of religious minorities and Pakistan. We cannot talk to them. We are at a dead end.

He said talks with India at this point in time would be a betrayal of Kashmiri people who have suffered so much and who live in an open-air prison environment with 800,000 troops deployed in the region.

He, however, said it is possible to build a relationship with India, but this requires the restoration of Kashmir’s autonomy. They have violated international law with this abrogation.

As regards relations with France, the Prime Minister pointed out that about half of our exports go to the European Union, of which France is one of the most significant members. He said France is also our trading partner and he would like to meet President Macron to discuss bilateral ties.