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Updated August 18th, 2021 at 15:51 IST

Pakistan PM Imran Khan hedges his bets; wants nations engaged with Afghan govt leaders too

Pakistan PM Imran Khan said that his country is reaching out to all “Afghan leaders” and urging other nations to “stay engaged” for assisting Afghans

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Pakistan PM Imran Khan
Image: AP & Representative Image | Image:self
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Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, who previously deemed Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as “breaking the chains of slavery,” said that his country is reaching out to all “Afghan leaders” and urging other nations to “stay engaged” for assisting people of the war-torn country. Pakistan PM received phone calls from his UK counterpart Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and he underlined the role his country played in the evacuation of diplomats and other staff of international organisers.

Khan also emphasised the need for an inclusive political settlement was the best way to move forward during his conversation with other world leaders, reported ANI. In addition to the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, Pakistan PM also highlighted the extensive measures his country took to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and stated that the essential data was shared with Britain. Khan also called for the UK to remove Pakistan from the red list for travel.

However, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised Khan over the present situation in Afghanistan and said that the country could not afford to make any more stark u-turns regarding the neighbouring country. 

Pakistan's u-turn on Afghanistan crisis

After Khan's claim of "breaking chains of slavery," the Pakistan government made a u-turn on the Afghanistan crisis saying it will not recognize the Taliban government in the war-torn country as of yet. After drawing criticism over initial remarks on Taliban re-conquering the country, in a meeting held later in the day, the Pakistan PM had reportedly also sided with the US by referring to its decision to withdraw the troops as a "logical" one. 

“The ideal time to end the conflict through negotiations might have been when the US/NATO troops were at maximum military strength in Afghanistan. Continuation of foreign military presence for a longer duration now would not have yielded a different outcome,” he said.

Khan’s government has been blamed for supporting the insurgents throughout their march in the South Asian country. After the Taliban captured Kabul on Sunday which triggered concerns of safety of women and children, he said, “You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now, they have broken the shackles of slavery."

Image: AP & Representative Image

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Published August 18th, 2021 at 15:51 IST

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