Along with being good neighbours, Pakistan is also facing the imminent need of taking care of its national security. With its unconditional support to the Afghan Taliban, the country is more likely to face the brunt of increasing influence of terrorist factions within the country. What needs to be understood is that the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan have always had the same agenda. One faction works in Afghanistan, while the other works in Pakistan, both however, want to develop a rigid Islamic state. The Afghan Taliban have been successful due to various reasons, including the United States troops withdrawal and the corrupt puppet government that was operating before the Taliban took charge, among other things. With this turn of events, the TTP was also strengthened when many of its core members were released from Afghan and other jails.
Keeping its own interests in mind, Pakistan has in the past and is currently supporting the Afghan government. However, keeping this support as the pretext of helping Afghans is not a legitimate reason. The Taliban regime has not kept many of the promises it made during the Doha peace talks. Currently, as stated by Abdullah Khenjani, Afghanistan’s former deputy minister, the Taliban are using the Afghan people as collateral so that they can get access to all the resources that have been blocked. Although the humanitarian crisis is very real, the Taliban do not have the intention of using the foreign assets and money that is currently frozen for the good of the Afghan people.
Although it will take time before a system is established in Afghanistan, the Taliban are not likely to establish one that is beneficial for the poor citizen. With their continuance of rigid policies and barring of women from the public sphere and many human rights violations, the country will take years before it can stand on its own feet and become independent. Until that happens, Afghanistan’s neighbours will have to intervene in one way or another. However, accepting the de facto government which is hellbent on refusing to provide basic human rights is not a good solution. It is Pakistan’s responsibility to be a good neighbour in a way that the Afghan people benefit and not only the top Taliban officials.
