Imran Khan govt criticised for talking to organisations supporting Taliban by Pak experts

A Pakistan expert panel at the Asma Jahangir Conference, on November 20, denounced Imran Khan's government for caving in to organisations such as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan, ANI reported. Earlier this month, Pakistan and TTP established a month-long ceasefire agreement last week, which can be extended if both sides agree.

According to the Pakistani government, the talks with the TTP are taking place within the framework of the Pakistani Constitution, according to several media reports.

The secrecy surrounding the talks has already made the process controversial. Pakistan's top court interrogated Prime Minister Imran Khan over the matter last week. The Supreme Court ordered the central government to take action against top officials who were negligent in the TTP's attack on the Army Public School in 2014, which resulted in the deaths of at least 145 people, the majority of whom were childrens, The Diplomat reported.

TTP, TLP & similar organisations 'gain more power' if Pakistan supports Taliban

The outlawed TTP, TLP, and other similar organisations gain more power the more Pakistan supports the Taliban and moreover, Pakistan's support for the Kabul regime serves no purpose for the Afghan people, according to experts at a session titled "Chaos in Afghanistan and Talking to Banned Organizations," as reported by Dawn. 

The panel, led by Ahmed Rashid, included Nader Nadery (member of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's peace negotiation team), Abdullah Khenjani, Afghanistan's former deputy minister, and Lotfullah Najafizada (Director of Afghanistan's Tolo News). Speakers in the session stressed unequivocally that supporting the Taliban and organisations such as the TTP and TLP will be harmful, according to the media agency.

Najafizada blamed recent events in Afghanistan on collective failure. In a measured tone, reportedly, he stated that the Taliban and the rest of the world needed to focus on the future rather than the failures of former governments. He further said that the Taliban needed to comprehend that they were running an Afghanistan that was not the same as it was in 2001. As Afghans become more connected, the Taliban should demonstrate maturity and learn to agree to disagree, as hatred for the US cannot provide bread, according to Dawn.

While Nadery recalled flaws in the Doha peace talks and identified four factors for the ongoing chaos in Afghanistan, according to the media organization, the US policy to leave the country was flawed; the talks were simply a PR exercise in which the Taliban had no intention of reaching any settlement; the Ghani government's failure to build institutions; and Pakistan's emphasis on defeating Indian policies in the neighbouring country rather than serving the interests of Afghans. According to Khenjani, the Taliban are attempting to hold Afghans prisoner in order to persuade the international community to accept them.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP