Fair warning

Prime Minister Imran Khan used the biggest stage to remind the world of its responsibility towards Afghanistan even amidst the close of a 20-year-long war. In a recorded address during the 76^th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, the Prime Minister warned the international community that if Afghans are abandoned at this stage, it will not take long for the situation in the war-torn country to deteriorate to the extent of a humanitarian crisis. The situation also threatens to turn the country into safe havens for a new age of terrorists, undoing efforts of the past two decades, the PM conveyed to the world.

He pointed out how the Americans had used Pakistan as a frontline state against the Soviet Union in the 1980s, galvanising the Afghans as Mujahideen fighting a holy war to safeguard their homeland. And when the US returned post-9/11, Pakistan was once again used as a frontline state, but this time against the very Mujahideen. The Prime Minister reminded the world that after Afghanistan, it was Pakistan that had suffered the most in human, economic and even sovereignty terms. And now, with the US leaving once again, Pakistan is being blamed “by some politicians” instead of extending any form of empathy for what Islamabad will likely once again have to deal with. He reiterated the need for the world to engage with the interim regime in Kabul and avert the looming humanitarian crisis there while the regime can be coerced into coming good on its promises.

Imran also pointed out the climate and Covid-19 crises along with the adverse situation for Muslims in India, particularly Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the absolute degradation of the dignity of life and even death for native Muslim residents. He also reiterated his demand for the global body to do more to regulate the illicit flow of money to tax havens. This is the clearest and strongest message that Islamabad could send to the world about the situation in Afghanistan, and perhaps on India as well. But it must be followed up by robust diplomatic engagement with key world leaders to generate the necessary momentum to yield the desired results.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2021.

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