Former Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Omar Daudzai has said that the Taliban have failed to fulfil the promises they made with the international community. In an interview with an international news outlet, the former ambassador said that there were expectations that the Taliban would fulfil their promises on human rights, inclusive government and terrorist groups.
The former Afghan envoy said, “We expected them to show flexibility in their behavior human rights concerns, broad-based government and terrorist organizations. They had made promises regarding these issues, he said and added, “so we expecting that they would honor their commitments and a new situation would come out. However, the Taliban did not act accordingly; in fact, they went in the opposite direction.”
During the online interview, when he was asked whether the world has forgotten Afghanistan, he said , “The world has become disappointed. I do not believe that the world has turned its back on us or lost interest. The countries with whom we are in contact still have special teams and specific institutions dedicated to Afghanistan. They are expecting that the situation will normalize, and they will be able to help Afghanistan once again. The difficulty lies with the Taliban.”
About Pakistan’s engagements with the Taliban, Omar Daudzai said, “The world and neighboring countries have a similar stance on ties with the Taliban . There are some differences in the details, but they are unanimous that they will not cut contacts with the Taliban, tolerate them will and continue reconciliation with them.
Omar Daudzai said that there are difficulties in formal recognition of the Taliban government. He said that Pakistan faces special situation in regard to Taliban. Pakistan’s relation with the Taliban go back to since the start of the Afghan Taliban movement, he said, adding that however, Taliban also failed to come upto the expectations of Pakistan especially TTP issue. Pakistan is also disappointed with the Taliban, he said, adding that Pakistan has lost leverage over Taliban as they were no more depending on Pakistan. He said that both Pakistan and Taliban still depending on each others on some issues..
About ISIS presence in Afghanistan, Omar Dawoodzai said, ‘ISIS is a global issue and an enemy. Its roots are not deep in this region. Afghans have social disconnect with the ISIS, but we don’t have much social difference with the Taliban. The Taliban also emerged from the same place, but their ideology is not compatible with ours. Those who suffer from the actions of the Taliban may join ISIS.’
If the Taliban unite their people and create a place in their hearts, then the people will not give a place to ISIS and the ISIS will disappear, he said. However, he added, the ISIS is gaining strength in Afghanistan.
Regarding the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Omar Daudzai that Taliban would no take action against the TTP. He said that even if (the Taliban) want to please Pakistan, they are not capable of it because it creates significant difficulties for them.
He added that everyone has not shifted to Afghanistan. Some TTP militants are still on the Durand Line side. “It’s a two-sided issue. I don’t think the Afghan Taliban will become so powerful that they can fulfill Pakistan’s expectations.”
About suggestion to remove TTP elements from Pakistan’s border, Omar Daudzai said that it is not a feasible suggestion, although the Taliban have said that they will shift the refugee camps in Khost away from the border. It has also created concerns within Afghanistan about where they will take them. It was an impractical suggestion, he said. The TTP men are not migrants; they are part of the Afghan Taliban system.
He said that Pakistan should engage with the Afghan Taliban, not in the way the world does, but in the way they have been doing for the past 20 years. Let them know that they should win the hearts of the people, then there will be no need for TTP or Al-Qaeda.
Omar Daudzai said that the Afghan Taliban have become much better after taking over Kabul. They can be seen on TV every day, they are prospering. They have become 20 times richer than the the local leaders. The nation has become poor, while Taliban leaders have become rich.
