Afghanistan can’t be ‘controlled from outside’: Pak PM Khan at SCO summit

Eight-member SCO grouping of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan is holding its 21st summit at Dushanbe.

Published - September 17, 2021 01:49 pm IST - Islamabad

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. File

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. File

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said Afghanistan could not be “controlled from the outside” and that Islamabad will continue to support the war-torn neighbouring country even as he urged the Taliban to fulfil the promises they have made.

Addressing the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, Mr. Khan highlighted the need to mobilise international support for an immediate humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan which is now ruled by the Taliban.

“We must remember that the Afghan government is primarily depended on foreign aid,” he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

“The Taliban must fulfil the promises they have made.

“Pakistan has a vital interest in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and will continue to lend its support,” Mr. Khan said, adding that Afghanistan could not be “controlled from the outside”.

The eight-member SCO grouping of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan is holding its 21st summit at Dushanbe.

Afghanistan is an observer in the SCO.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the U.S.’ complete troop withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. This forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country to the UAE.

The Taliban insurgents stormed across Afghanistan and captured all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away.

Thousands of Afghan nationals and foreigners have fled the country to escape the new Taliban regime and to seek asylum in different nations, including the US and many European nations, resulting in total chaos and deaths.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.