KHUSHAB:
The reported deaths of more than 1,000 Afghans in the recent earthquake amid a poor emergency response infrastructure have added to an already long list of miseries the war-torn country has been embracing for the last four decades. There seems to be no sign of an end to their nightmares. The world must understand that the Afghan Taliban is a new reality which needs to be accepted. The sooner this is understood, the better.
With millions of Afghans facing acute hunger and essential public services nearly nonexistent, the country desperately needs economic support. The world must ramp up efforts to save Afghanistan from economic collapse and urge the US to release $7 billion in frozen funds. Failure to extend economic support at this critical juncture will further weaken the governance structure and erode the people’s trust in state institutions. If this happens, there is a very real danger that the country will turn into a breeding ground for terrorist organisations. IS-K has already ramped up operations and carried out several terrorist attacks since the Taliban takeover. We must not allow this to happen.
Witnessing the gravity of the on-ground situation, the world must rise to the challenge and help the Taliban stabilise the country before the problems exacerbate out of control and another ‘war on terror’ becomes indispensable. To play their part, the Taliban must also show flexibility in their hardline approach and commit to promises made in the Doha Accord. They must work towards forming an inclusive government to bridge divisions among various ethnic factions and open up work spaces for women as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2022.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
