Qatar Warns The World not to Isolate Taliban

Doha, MINA – Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said efforts to isolate the Taliban could lead to further instability in Afghanistan.

He urged all countries to help address security and socio-economic problems in Afghanistan.

“If we start setting conditions and stop this engagement, we’re going to leave a void, and the question is, who’s going to fill this void?” said Al Thani reported by Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

So far no country has recognized the Taliban as the Government of Afghanistan after they captured Kabul on August 15.

Many Western countries have urged the Taliban to form governments that are inclusive and respect human rights. In addition, the world’s financial institutions have stopped financial aid since the Taliban came to power, causing the Afghan economy to slump.

“We believe that without our involvement, we cannot achieve real progress in the security or socio-economic fields,” Al Thani said, adding that recognizing the Taliban as government was not a priority.

Al Thani also warned of an increase in terrorist attacks following the US withdrawal. He called for inclusive governance in Afghanistan.

“It is our role to always urge them (Taliban) to have an expanded government, which includes all parties and does not exclude any party. During our talks with the Taliban, there was no positive or negative response,” Al-Thani said referring to recent talks between Qatar and the Taliban.

Taliban fighters celebrated the departure of the last US troops on Tuesday by firing bullets into the air in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

They declared Afghanistan’s independence from foreign occupation. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)