NEW YORK
\nPakistan has urged the international community to open a sustained process of engagement with the Taliban to build mutual trust, suggesting incentives rather than punitive measures to achieve normalization in Afghanistan.
\n\u201cWe should identify clear objectives; promote direct engagement with Afghan Interim Government by having them at the table; and move away from utilizing only \u201csticks\u201d and instead try some \u201ccarrots\u201d to advance the objectives of the international community,\u201d Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN Security Council.
\nSpeaking in a debate on the situation in Afghanistan, the Pakistani envoy said there were reasons for optimism and pessimism regarding the war-ravaged country. The security situation, he said, has vastly improved, the interim government is stable and secure, and there is no credible internal threat.
\nFurther, the government has managed the economy and revenue collection reasonably well, and engaged with all its immediate neighbours. However, Ambassador Akram noted that the humanitarian situation remains dire, under the impact of climate change and sanctions, while unacceptable restrictions on women and girls have increased.
\n\u201cThe threat from terrorist organizations, within and from Afghanistan, persists,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile Al-Qaeda is a shadow of its early self, Da\u2019esh remains to be contained and the threat from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is real and sizeable not only because of the external support it has received but also because of other regional factors.\u201d
\nCiting the fifth dialogue between Afghanistan, China and Pakistan on 6 May, he called on the international community to engage constructively with the interim government, and other regional countries \u2014 particularly those of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) \u2014 to play a larger role.
\nPakistan welcomed and participated in the Doha meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, Ambassador Akram said, hoping the UN and the Secretary-General will continue his endeavor for normalization in Afghanistan.
\n\u201cAs we develop the mutual trust and confidence with the Afghan Interim Government to address the issues related to Afghanistan,\u201d he hoped that the international community will take a number of steps, including maintaining unconditional humanitarian assistance, releasing externally held reserve assets and reviving the banking system.
\nIn addition, open and sustain a process of engagement with the Afghan Interim Government through various available platforms \u2013 bilateral, regional and international.
\n\u201cPakistan believes that the engagement and cooperation can lead to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, where the humanitarian crises will be over; where the rights of women and girls will be respected in accordance with Sharia; where the economy is thriving; where Afghan refugees have returned home; where terrorism has been effectively addressed and where Afghanistan provides the trade and transit link between Central, West and South Asia,\u2019 Ambassador Akram said in conclusion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK Pakistan has urged the international community to open a sustained process of engagement with the Taliban to build mutual trust, suggesting incentives rather than punitive measures to achieve normalization in Afghanistan. \u201cWe should identify clear objectives; promote direct engagement with Afghan Interim Government by having them at the table; and move away from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-339408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n