US, western allies term TTP major threat, endorse Pakistan’s stance

In a major development, the United States and its key western allies have identified banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a major threat to not just Pakistan but to their own security, endorsing Islamabad’s view that the dreaded terrorist outfit is operating from Afghanistan. Special Envoys and Representatives for Afghanistan of Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States met in Paris on February 20 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The meeting of what seems to be newly formed group on Afghanistan was kept under wraps for over two weeks before a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the US State Department. The fact the meeting held on the eve of the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine suggested that the west may have been preoccupied with the conflict at their own backyard, it has not forgotten Afghanistan. What was significant in the joint statement was that the US and its western allies voiced grave concerns over the activities of terrorist groups including the TTP in Afghanistan. They expressed grave concern about the increasing threat of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, including ISKP, al Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan and others. Importantly, the joint statement noted that these groups including TTP “deeply affects security and stability inside the country, in the region and beyond, and called on the Taliban to uphold Afghanistan’s obligation to deny these groups’ safe haven.” Also read: US hints at reviving post-9/11 era anti-terror initiatives with Pakistan This was the first time any western bloc explicitly termed TTP as threat to their security, something that would be welcomed by Pakistan. The renewed interest of these powerful western countries, which formed the core of US coalition after the 9/11 attacks, indicated that they are increasingly concerned over the Afghanistan situation. That also reflected in the joint statement where they noted with grave concern the increased threat to security and stability in Afghanistan and the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation, with more than 28 million Afghans now in need of humanitarian aid, of whom more than half are women and children, and six million just one step from famine. They emphasised their concern about increasing deterioration and multiple violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of Afghans by the Taliban since August 2021, especially those of women and girls as well as members of ethnic and religious minorities and other marginalised groups. They strongly condemned the Taliban’s decisions in December 2022 to ban Afghan women from university education and from working in NGOs, which follow numerous other harmful violations and restrictions imposed on opportunities for women to exercise their rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, including to continue to ban girls from secondary schools, thus excluding them from all spheres of public life. They affirmed that these decisions violate and threaten not only Afghan women’s rights and freedoms, but also the overall much-needed social and economic development of the country, which will suffer greatly if half of the population is excluded from participating meaningfully; emphasised that humanitarian assistance cannot be delivered fairly or effectively if limited by discriminatory policies or practices. They called for the immediate reversal of these unacceptable bans as they are preventing humanitarian assistance from reaching Afghans most in need. They recalled the Taliban’s responsibility for the deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation, as well as their responsibility for the recovery of the country and the improvement of the economic situation; recalled that responding to the needs of the Afghan people should be the main preoccupation of the Taliban. They also underscored that achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan requires a credible and inclusive national dialogue leading to a constitutional order with a representative and inclusive political system. They stated that the situation and developments in Afghanistan should be constantly observed with the utmost vigilance and that coordination among members of the international community should be maintained and reinforced in light of future developments in Afghanistan and with the interest of the people of Afghanistan in mind. The group of special envoys and representatives agreed to meet again in the near future.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/hXcIa8U