“Never Heard Such Ignorance”: Imran Khan On Antony Blinken’s Pak Remarks

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Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is batting for the Taliban to develop a consensus that might cause recognition of the new caretaker government of the “Islamic Emirate” in Afghanistan.
Speaking to CNN, within the first interview with a world news agency since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last month, Khan said that the simplest way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan is to interact with the Taliban and “incentivise” them on issues like women’s rights and inclusive government.

“The Taliban hold all of Afghanistan and if they will kind of now work towards an inclusive government, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 years. But if it goes wrong and which is what we are really worried about, it could attend chaos. the most important humanitarian crisis, an enormous refugee problem,” Khan said.

“It’s an error to think that somebody from outside will give Afghan women rights. Afghan women are strong. Give them time. they’re going to get their rights,” said Khan.

Since assuming power, the group has attempted to color a replacement picture with promises to uphold human rights, particularly regarding women and girls, and permit journalists to continue with their work.

However, women are omitted from the Taliban’s hard-line interim government, are ordered to remain reception in some areas, and their education restricted.

Protests against Taliban rule and for civil rights are violently suppressed, with reports of journalists being arrested and severely beaten.

In recent days the Taliban has mandated the segregation of genders in classrooms and said female students, lecturers and employees must wear hijabs in accordance with the group’s interpretation of shariah . And Taliban fighters have used whips and sticks against women protesters, who have taken to the streets in sporadic protests across the country demanding equal rights.

Khan claimed that the Taliban are trying to find international aid to avoid a crisis, which might be wont to push the group in “the right direction towards legitimacy.” However, he warned that Afghanistan couldn’t be controlled by outside forces.

“No puppet state in Afghanistan is supported by the people,” he said. “So instead of sitting here and thinking that we will control them, we should always incentivize them. Because Afghanistan, this current government, clearly feels that without international aid and help, they’re going to not be ready to stop this crisis. So we should always push them within the right direction.”

Meanwhile, Khan also commented on the “terrible” relationship with the us that has been disastrous for Pakistan and the way he’s now seeking a more pragmatic approach in handling Afghanistan”s new leaders.

“We (Pakistan) were sort of a gunman ,” Khan said. “We were alleged to make them (the US) win the war in Afghanistan, which we never could.”

Khan said he repeatedly warned US officials that America couldn’t achieve its objectives militarily, and would “be stuck there.” He said the US should have attempted a political settlement with the Taliban from a “position of strength,” at the peak of its presence in Afghanistan, not because it was withdrawing.

Khan has previously criticized the US exit from Afghanistan and said he has not spoken with President Joe Biden since the Taliban takeover, despite Pakistan being a serious non-NATO ally.

“I would imagine he’s very busy, but our relationship with the US isn’t just hooked in to a call , it must be a multidimensional relationship,” said Khan.

On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would reassess its ties with Pakistan following the withdrawal. He told Congress during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that Pakistan features a “multiplicity of interests some that are in conflict with ours.”

Khan called such comments “ignorant,” telling CNN that “I haven’t heard such ignorance.”

According to Khan, thousands of Pakistanis lost their lives in terrorist attacks by “militant groups” due to his country’s support for the US. simply because we sided with the US, we became an ally of the US after 9/11 and therefore the war in Afghanistan. The suffering this country went through with at one point there have been 50 militant groups attacking our government… on top of it, they need to also know there have been 480 drone attacks by the US in Pakistan,” he added.

“Only time a rustic has been attacked by its ally,” he said of the US strikes.

The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists and given them shelter , a claim Khan denied.

“What are these safe havens?” Khan asked. “The area of Pakistan along the border of Afghanistan had the heaviest surveillance by the us drones