Pakistan warns international community ‘disengagement’ not an option in Afghanistan

A Taliban fighter (right) walks past shoppers along Mandawi market in Kabul, Pakistan, on September 1, 2021. (AFP)

• FM Qureshi tells a British news channel western withdrawal from Afghanistan ‘was not responsible and orderly’
• The foreign minister warns the world of ‘anarchy’ in Afghanistan, saying it could benefit transnational militant networks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday disengagement was not a viable policy option in Afghanistan, adding it could lead to disastrous consequences for everyone.
The Taliban established themselves as a dominant political force in Afghanistan after capturing its major towns, cities and strategic border crossings before victoriously entering Kabul on August 15.
The lighting pace of the Taliban offensive surprised everyone and resulted in the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani administration only a few months after the United States decided to pull out international forces from the war-ravaged country.
The Pakistani foreign minister told Britain’s Sky News television channel on Thursday it was important for the world to “engage” with the Taliban faction, though he denied he was building a case for its international recognition.
“The consequences of disengagement are far worse,” he said. “Look at the initial statements by the Taliban. They are positive and encouraging. The international community is not sure whether the Taliban mean them. Will they implement these pronouncements or is it just a tactic? [I say] test them.”
Qureshi maintained international disengagement could lead to “anarchy” and another “civil war” in Afghanistan, adding such a situation could then “give space to the [international militant] organizations that we all dread.”
The Pakistani foreign minister said the international community had not left Afghanistan in a responsible and orderly manner.
“What we were asking [the world] was that the peace process and negotiations should move in tandem with the withdrawal,” he said, adding: “[The international pullout] was not responsible and orderly. Why was there such a rush?“
Asked if he thought the Taliban had changed, he said he could only hope they had learned from their past mistakes.
“If they are sensible, they should, in my view, respect the international opinions and international norms,” he continued.