RASC News Agency: Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has declared that Pakistan remains open to engagement with opposition factions resisting Taliban rule. In a pointed remark, he underscored the fluid nature of geopolitics, stating, “Politics is not like marriage, where one must remain committed to the same bride for a lifetime.” In an exclusive interview with an Afghanistani media outlet, Durrani accused the Taliban of duplicity, highlighting contradictions in their stance toward the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He noted that while the Taliban adamantly deny TTP’s presence in Afghanistan, they simultaneously position themselves as mediators between Pakistan and the militant group an inconsistency that raises serious concerns for Islamabad.
Durrani emphasized that Pakistan’s primary contention with the Taliban regime stems from TTP’s activities on Afghanistani soil. He asserted that Pakistan possesses intelligence on TTP safe havens in Afghanistan and has previously launched military operations against them. He further issued a stern warning that if necessary, Islamabad would not hesitate to conduct military strikes against these sanctuaries once again. The former diplomat underscored the dynamic nature of global politics, affirming that Pakistan’s foreign policy will evolve in alignment with shifting geopolitical realities.
Durrani also delivered a scathing critique of the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, condemning it as a policy that not only Pakistan but the entire Islamic world rejects. He dismissed the Taliban’s justification of the ban as a distortion of Islamic principles, stressing that no Islamic nation endorses such an oppressive restriction. In recent weeks, tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have escalated dramatically, with both sides accusing each other of harboring and supporting insurgent elements further deepening the rift between the two neighboring regimes.
