Pakistan needs to coexist with and have 'realistic' approach to Taliban: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said that Pakistan needed to coexist with the Taliban and have a "realistic" approach towards the group.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during the latter's two-day visit to Pakistan, the foreign minister was questioned on whether Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban would be "conditions-based".

Responding to this, Qureshi said the choices available must be considered before determining any conditions.

"Some have the choice of getting up and leaving but we do not. We are neighbours [and] we have to coexist. Geography ties us together so our approach [to the Taliban] has to be somewhat different [and] realistic," the foreign minister said.

FM Qureshi said Pakistan had certain "compulsions" in its affairs with Afghanistan that "perhaps you don't have to" such as daily border crossings of 20,000 to 25,000 people.

"Can we block them? No, we can't. Can we regulate them? Yes, we should. Are there risks? Yes, there are organisations there that are not friendly to you or us or anyone so we have to guard against that as well."

“The bulk of Afghanistan's trade passes through Pakistan so could the latter close its border with the former? Would Pakistan be contributing to any ensuing humanitarian crisis as a result?” the foreign minister questioned.

"If we have to trade with them then who do we talk to? Engaging with any authority who is in charge is a compulsion that we have to deal with.

"Recognising these challenges, Pakistan has said it is for Afghans to decide about their future. We will engage with a government that has the backing of the people of Afghanistan. Our focus is on and we want to help the people of Afghanistan because we feel they have suffered for decades and there is a real opportunity for peace after 40 years," said FM Qureshi.

He added that anyone advocating "peace and stability" from among the Taliban was a "friend" and "we will work with that reality". Qureshi said Pakistan was awaiting developments in the next few days with "eyes and ears open".

The foreign minister reiterated Pakistan's stance that it "had no favourites" in Afghanistan. He said Afghanistan comprised of different ethnic groups.

"That is why we have said as neighbours and wellwishers that it is in your (Afghanistan's) interest to adopt an inclusive approach," Qureshi said.

Similarly, on the UK's approach to the Taliban, Raab said: "The approach we are taking is that we don't recognise the Taliban as a government [...] but we do see the importance of being able to engage and have a direct line of communication, the reason being that there is a whole range of issues that need to be discussed including the question of safe passage of British nationals and the Afghans who worked for the UK government."

He noted that the Taliban had made a series of undertakings, "some of them are positive at the level of words" but there was a need to test whether they translated into deeds — which would not be possible if some channel of dialogue wasn't present.

The foreign secretary pointed to the British evacuations from Afghanistan, saying that over 15,000 people couldn't have been evacuated without "at least some measure of constructive dialogue with the Taliban".

When questioned what specifically he was expecting from the Taliban and if there was a danger of pushing them towards "embracing radical tendencies", Raab said some early tests needed to be set on the Taliban promises and whether they had the "sincerity and will" to deliver on them.

He stressed that there was a need to bring stronger basic consensus and forge a wider group of countries that agreed on issues such as an inclusive government, safe outward passage, no terrorist safe havens, continuation of humanitarian lifelines and a range of other issues.

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More to follow.

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