Recognition of Taliban govt: Consensus must also be evolved within Pakistan, says Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Tuesday said that he welcomes what Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed in an interview that recognising the Taliban government may come only after international consensus, but he suggested creating consensus within Pakistan as well.

“While I welcome the approach, I hope he creates that consensus within Pakistan. The Pakistani Parliament unfortunately has not met ever since the recent developments in Afghanistan, stakeholders within Pakistan have not been consulted for inclusive input from all stakeholders but the statement regarding the international consensus is welcome,” he said in an interview to a British media outlet.

Bilawal said that as soon as the situation in Afghanistan developed, the PPP called for the government to hold a session of the Parliament. “As with various issues in our country, we have been unable to form a national consensus. We require an inclusive foreign policy that is per the will of the Parliament, not of any individual,” he said.

Responding to a question, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan’s influence over Afghanistan is often exaggerated, however, Pakistan should play its role in encouraging an inclusive government in Afghanistan, for the protection of women and children there. “We should work with international agents to ensure that Afghan soil is not used to promote terrorism in the region,” he said.

Bilawal said democratic space in Pakistan is shrinking, especially during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government. “It is the choice of democratic people of the country to play an active role in the political system to regain this space through the Parliament and media,” he said.

The PPP chairman said the role of various agencies in Afghanistan over the past two decades will be discussed in history, and everyone seems to be blaming one another, but it is important to work together for a positive outcome for the sake of the region. “For the women and youth of Afghanistan who have so much potential, it is worrisome that their potential is in danger,” he said.

“We are very concerned about the potential blowback of the developments in Afghanistan as well as the links between Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. “We have suffered immensely at the hands of violent extremism and I lost my mother, the former prime minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to extremism within Pakistan,” he said.

In order to counter the threat of extremism, he said, determination was needed from the government of Pakistan to ensure there will be no space for terrorism or extremism. “What we have learned from Afghanistan is that extremism is not battled with bombs alone, but battle of ideas and battle of opportunities. “We have to provide for the people of Pakistan who have a stake in the political and economic system,” he said. Bilawal said when there is this sort of deprivation, all sorts of negative influences can take advantage of the situation. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both exhausted due to the decades of war.