Doha, 1st May 2023 (TDI): Hina Rabbani Khar, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, is attending a two-day meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan, held from May 1st to 2nd, in Doha, Qatar, being held under the auspices of the United Nations.
This meeting is being held under the auspices of the United Nations and will be presided over by the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres.
The primary focus of the meeting is to gather major international and regional countries and facilitate a discussion on the current situation in Afghanistan.
The meeting is a platform for the envoys to exchange their views and insights on various aspects of Afghanistan’s security, political, and humanitarian situation.
Through this meeting, the international community aims to find solutions to the challenges faced by Afghanistan and establish a coordinated approach to assist the country in achieving sustainable peace and stability.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs will hold bilateral meetings with other participating countries. She will put forward Pakistan’s perspective on Afghanistan. Moreover, she will work with other participants to build consensus on how to move forward regarding Afghanistan.
Also Read: Pakistan and Uzbekistan officials meet at Afghanistan Summit
Earlier in the month of April, Pakistan and other neighbors of Afghanistan met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to devise a regional approach to Afghanistan.
The Rise of Afghan Taliban and the Non-State Actors
After the American withdrawal, Afghanistan has become a bottleneck for regional connectivity and peace. The hasty American withdrawal created a power vacuum, which made vulnerable not only Afghanistan but also regional countries, especially Pakistan, to non-state actors.
Also Read: Tashkent Summit on Afghanistan
After the American withdrawal, non-state actors such as Daesh, Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent (AQIS), and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) increased their activities in the neighboring states, especially Pakistan.
As per the Pakistan Security Report of 2022, the number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan surged to 262 as compared to the previous year, resulting in 419 fatalities and 734 injuries. The TTP is primarily accountable for these attacks.
Following the American withdrawal, the Afghan Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021. Consequently, regional and international countries have placed certain conditions on recognizing the Taliban government. They are urging the Taliban government to take action against these non-state actors and implement social reforms.
One of the issues that necessitate reform is the prohibition of women’s education by the Taliban government. Additionally, the ailing economy has increased poverty in Afghanistan, which may lead to other issues, such as refugees from regional countries.
Recently UN passed a condemnation resolution where the Afghan government of Taliban has been asked to allow women to work alongside the UN to help and supporting the communities on the ground.
