A senior Pakistani diplomat has issued a stark warning about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, cautioning that the international community’s neglect could lead to a resurgence of terrorist activities reminiscent of the events leading up to 9/11. Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, expressed his concerns during a recent talk at the Ambassadors’ Lounge, emphasizing that the world has largely forgotten Afghanistan, a country now teetering on the edge of disaster.
“Afghanistan has almost been forgotten. There is no doubt about it, and this was in fact highlighted during the Doha 3 session in June,” remarked Durrani. He pointed out that despite ongoing humanitarian crises, international aid has been insufficient. “Even last year, only one-third of the commitments were fulfilled,” he added.
Durrani noted that global priorities have shifted dramatically due to the war in Ukraine and the ongoing atrocities in Palestine, leaving Afghanistan to fade from the headlines. “Afghanistan is no more in the news. Forget about front or back pages; even in the inner pages, Afghanistan is absent,” he lamented.
Drawing a chilling parallel to the pre-9/11 era, Durrani warned, “I think it can push back Afghanistan to pre-9/11 conditions, which in fact then gave birth to 9/11.” He highlighted the dire economic situation, with 97 per cent of Afghans now living below the poverty line and over half of the population relying on international aid.
Durrani also raised concerns about the growing presence of terrorist groups, particularly Daesh Khorasan, in Afghanistan. He described this as a significant threat not only to the region but to the entire world. “My worry is that ISKP is gaining ground inside Afghanistan, and that should be a source of concern for everyone in the region and beyond,” he said, referencing the group’s activities in Iran, Russia, and Pakistan.
The diplomat also touched on the complex relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Despite the Taliban’s claim of enforcing Islamic rule, Durrani criticized their actions, particularly the ban on girls’ education, as being out of step with true Islamic principles. “The Afghan Taliban have implemented certain rules which may suit Afghan conditions but certainly do not fit into the Islamic tenets which they claim they have implemented,” he argued.
Furthermore, Durrani expressed frustration with the Taliban’s inaction against the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose attacks in Pakistan have surged by 70 per cent since the Taliban took power. “For Pakistan, peace in Afghanistan is welcome, but at the same time, our complaint is that their peace has become a problem for us because of the TTP,” he said.
Despite these challenges, Durrani remained hopeful that diplomacy would prevail in resolving the TTP issue, even if the Taliban remain reluctant to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries.
