Crisis in Afghanistan: United States calls on Pakistan not to recognize the Taliban until they comply with the demands of the international community

The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken on Monday called on Pakistan not to recognize the new Afghan government until the Taliban have met the expectations of the international community.

In his appearance before Congress on the Taliban victory in Afghanistan, Blinken listened to lawmakers from all parties, who advocated a tougher line with Pakistan, which has been an uneasy partner of Washington during its 20-year war.

“We must insist that all countries, including Pakistan, meet the expectations of the international community as to what is required of a government led by the Taliban,” if you want to receive some kind of legitimacy or support “Blinken told the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations.

He added that the priorities included ensuring that the Taliban let out those who want to leave Afghanistan and that they respect the rights of women, girls and minorities, and that they adhere to promises that the country will not once again become “a haven for terror directed at outside ”.

“However, Pakistan must align itself with the vast majority of the international community in working towards these ends and meeting those expectations.yes, ”Blinken said.

Added that Pakistan’s policies have been “on many occasions prejudicial to our interests, and at other times in favor of those interests.”.

this implies “Housing members of the Taliban, including the Haqqanis“said Blinken, referring to the terrorist group designated by Washington which is now part of the interim government.

Democratic Representative Joaquín Castro, one of many lawmakers who have criticized Pakistan, called on the United States to consider the possibility of withdrawing its status as a non-NATO ally, something that gives Islamabad privileged access to American arms.

Pakistani intelligence services had close ties to the Taliban since the rise of the Islamist guerrillas in the 1990s.

Then, Pakistan was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban government from 1996 to 2001, known for its crackdown on women’s rights as part of an ultra-austere interpretation of Islam.

Pakistan, an ally of the United States during the Cold War, quickly pledged to cooperate in the “war on terror” waged by the United States following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Corn Pakistan has often seen Afghanistan through the prism of its historic rivalry with India., an important partner of the ousted government backed by the West.

What Pakistan says about the Taliban

After the rise to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the country “could finally end four decades of instability”, Foreign Minister of neighboring Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi said today, at the international conference organized by the UN to help the Afghan people.

“Afghanistan has the opportunity to embark on the path of sustainable peace and development “said the foreign minister of Pakistan, a country seen by some observers as an ally of the Taliban and which, in the face of the pessimism of other senior conference officials, offered a certain message of hope.

In any case, he admitted, some 18 million Afghans live in a borderline situation and are currently in need of humanitarian aid, although the foreign minister also called “not to forget the millions of Afghan refugees living in host countries “.

Pakistan, where around half of the ethnic Pashtun population lives (to which the Taliban movement is mainly linked), hosted more than three million Afghan refugees over the past decadesrecalled Qureshi, who asked not to forget the communities that welcome them “in these difficult times”.

With information from AFP and EFE

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