MIANWALI:
After undergoing decades of wars, the people of Afghanistan are once again facing crucial challenges in the form of hunger, poverty, totalitarianism and severe cold. According to reports, a humanitarian crisis is in the making in Afghanistan. In order to put food on the table, people have no option but to sell their children.
On assuming charge of Kabul, the Taliban leaders vowed to respect the rights of women and minorities, and pledged to establish a broad-based government set-up to run the affairs of the country. Given their past dealings, the world community took this promise with a pinch of salt. And then the world saw the Taliban backing out of their words. The dream of an inclusive government was the first to shatter when the Taliban leaders barred women and minorities from the corridors of power. They also punished those who were part of the US-backed Afghanistan government. Resultantly, when the US and Europe stopped its funding to Afghanistan, the country became cash-strapped and the sudden inflation proved to be a perfect recipe of disaster for the masses. In order to ameliorate the miseries of the masses in Afghanistan, Pakistan took the lead and convened an OIC meeting. Though it was a positive step, no concrete solution was reached at mitigating the suffering of the troubled masses.
The Taliban must realise that putting up resistance to foreign forces was somewhat easier, but running the affairs of the country in a hassle-free manner requires political acumen rather than sticking to a rigid instance. In the same way, rather than adopting an isolated approach, world leaders must engage with the Taliban to help the people of Afghanistan who are in dire straits.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10, 2022.
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