Give it a shot

This refers to the news report ‘Afghanistan situation: Pakistan proposes inclusion of Taliban government in six-neighbour conference’ (September 9). It was a commendable move by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to propose at the virtual conference with China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Turkmenistan that the interim Afghanistan government be invited to future conferences. The Afghans have suffered tremendously during the last several decades, and it is incumbent upon the neighbouring states – and the international community – to help them as much as possible. Extending a helping hand to stabilise Afghanistan will be in the interest of all its neighbours because any upheaval in the country is bound to have serious consequences for the region.

Although the interim government itself, as well as some measures announced by it, do not meet international expectations fully, the best way to persuade it to introduce the sought-after reforms is by giving the interim government some time and space.

S R H Hashmi

Karachi