Afghanistan Peace CampaignBut ICG underscored that regional actor sought more dealings with Kabul.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report that as most of the world shuns the “Taliban due to their violations of women’s and girls’ rights, countries in the region around Afghanistan are dealing with the regime to address their needs for security and economic stability.”
According to the ICG, the region, “as the Taliban broadly define spans the Eurasian continents, from China in the east to Türkiye in the west and from Russia in the north to India and the Gulf monarchies in the south. It encompasses countries closer in, such as the Central Asian states, Iran and Pakistan.”
“The Taliban, like previous Afghan rulers, view Afghanistan as a bridge connecting all these places,” ICG’s report reads.
The report stated that the regional countries’ policies toward the “Taliban” vary enormously, though all believe contacts with the regime to be necessary, but so far, their engagement is limited.
“Kabul and its regional partners are struggling to develop a modus vivendi as regards issues of mutual concern, which range from boosting trade to managing disputes over water and halting transnational militancy. It is a fraught endeavour, but a worthwhile one, and Western capitals should not stand in the way,” the report cited.
According to the report, the Western diplomats cancelled their meetings with the “Taliban” due to their “denial of basic rights to Afghan women and girls and their imposition of draconian social rules since returning to power in August 2021 has sabotaged.”
But ICG underscored that regional actor sought more dealings with Kabul.
“Some have condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls, particularly bans on girls’ secondary and higher education, but overall regional officials tend not to put emphasis on women’s and girls’ rights,” the report said. “At the same time, they are convinced that the best way to secure their countries’ interests and moderate the Taliban’s behaviour in the long term is patient deliberation with Kabul, rather than ostracism.”
These channels between Kabul and regional capitals appear to offer the Taliban their best hopes for diplomatic engagement in the coming years, ICG suggested.
The Islamic Emirate said that the interim Afghan government has good relations with the neighboring and regional countries and that efforts are underway to improve relations with other countries as well.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the rights of women and human rights are ensured within an Islamic structure.
“The International Crisis Group, while making reports, unfortunately, tries to find out the small issues and work on them and describe them as a problem and then report them,” he said.
Political analysts gave various opinions in this regard.
“We accept the issues of girls, that the schools, universities and parks are closed for them,” said Saleem Paigir, a political analyst.
“The issues of human rights violation in Afghanistan, the closure of schools and universities for girls, lack of inclusive government… are the issues which the IGC focused on,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, political analyst.
Link to ICG Afghanistan report:
https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/afghanistan/337-talibans-neighbourhood-regional-diplomacy-afghanistan
