Qureshi warns world against abandoning Afghanistan

German FM concedes West needs to draw hard lessons for its ‘unsuccessful’ Afghan mission

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made a strong pitch for the incoming government in Kabul, as visiting German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas conceded on Tuesday that the West needed to draw some hard lessons for their “unsuccessful” mission in the war-torn country.

Maas arrived in Islamabad just hours after the US planes departed from Kabul Airport for one last time, ending America’s longest and what many believe pointless war in Afghanistan. Germany, which was part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, sent its top diplomat to Islamabad in order to assess the situation on the ground and discuss a way forward.

Against this backdrop, talks between the Pakistani and German foreign ministers focused on Afghanistan. Qureshi shared Pakistan’s perspective and informed his German counterpart that the consequences of leaving Afghanistan on its own.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Maas, Qureshi stressed the need for the international community to stay engaged with Afghanistan. “This is a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s history. The international community must remain engaged. Humanitarian assistance must flow. Do not let the economic collapse in Afghanistan take place,” he stressed.

The foreign minister went on to say that “abandonment is not an option” emphasising that the world had already seen the fallout of leaving Afghanistan alone after the Soviet withdrawal in the 1990s.

Pakistan’s concerns stem from the fact that disengagement with Afghanistan may once again create a security vacuum that will likely undermine regional and international security.

The foreign minister shared Pakistan’s perspective on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. He stated that for Pakistan, an immediate neighbour that suffered for 40 years from conflict and instability next door, a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of vital importance. The foreign minister underlined that safety and security of Afghans and an inclusive political settlement would be important in this regard.

Qureshi stressed the need for the international community to engage through positive messaging and constructive actions. He stated that immediate steps were needed to address the humanitarian needs and ensure sustained economic stability.

The foreign minister added that measures must be taken to stabilise the security situation, preserve peace, and preclude any mass exodus. He said that positive engagement with Afghanistan would help advance these shared objectives.

The German foreign minister told reporters that he was visiting Pakistan to get a first-hand account of the situation after the dramatic events of the last few weeks. However, he was cautious in giving a conclusive statement about the future ties with Afghanistan under the Taliban rule.

Maas was of the view that it remains to be seen if the Afghan Taliban lived up to the promises they made with the international community. “It is important for us that all Afghans, even those who do not support the Taliban, feel represented by this government and it remains to be seen whether the Taliban take this into account,” the German foreign minister said.

Qureshi said it was obvious that in the coming days it would be clear if the Taliban would fulfil all those promises. But, he added, Pakistan was encouraged by the positive statements so far given by the Afghan Taliban. He also said the Taliban also realised that they needed humanitarian and other financial assistance and for that, they had to respect human rights and international norms and opinions.

When asked whether the West should draw any lessons from the Afghan experience, the German foreign minister conceded that the mission was not successful in terms of imposing a specific form of government in Afghanistan. “In the west and the international community at large, we need to ask ourselves if military interventions are suited to export a form of government. This was not successful in Afghanistan,” he admitted.

“This is why we have to draw the necessary lessons that beyond fighting terrorism, beyond ending human rights violations, beyond creating peace, military interventions are not suited to export a specific form of government. We need to think of the purposes and duration of the military interventions,” he further said.

Consulate in Munich

Earlier, in a tweet, Qureshi announced that Pakistan would open its consulate general in the German city Munich soon. “We will soon inaugurate the Consulate General of Pakistan in Munich and are working to establish Iqbal-Goethe Center in Heidelberg,” he said in a tweet.

“Bilaterally, we deeply value our longstanding relations with Germany, now in our 70th year of friendship,” Qureshi said, adding that Pakistan attached high value to its relations with Germany and underscored the resolve to comprehensively upgrade the overall relationship.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan underscored that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was vitally important for Pakistan and the region.

He stressed that at this pivotal moment in Afghanistan's history, it was important for the international community to remain in support and solidarity with the Afghan people.

The Prime Minister was talking to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who called on him here. During the meeting, views were exchanged on the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan-Germany bilateral relations.

The Prime Minister recalled his conversation with Chancellor Merkel, in which the two leaders had a fruitful exchange of views on the Afghanistan situation.

He underlined that urgent steps were needed to stabilize the security situation, address humanitarian needs, and ensure economic stability in Afghanistan. These would require sustained engagement with Afghanistan, he added.

The Prime Minister underscored that both Pakistan and Germany should work closely for the promotion of shared interests relating to regional peace and stability.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas conveyed cordial greetings of Chancellor Merkel. While sharing Germany's viewpoint on the evolving situation in Afghanistan, he thanked Pakistan for its support and facilitation for Germany's evacuation endeavours from Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Maas also highlighted the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-Germany diplomatic relations during 2021. The two countries are holding a series of events to celebrate this milestone in a befitting manner.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)