Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan is holding talks with many groups of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 'from a position of strength'.
He said that the country was engaging with those groups of the TTP who can be be reconciled 'from a position of strength'. Khan reiterated that there are no military solutions to insurgencies.
The PM said. "We now have to talk to those we can reconcile with.. to give up their arms and live as normal citizens."
PM Imran Khan once again called on the international community to engage with the Taliban, saying that the failure to do so would push them 20 years back.
He expressed these views in an interview with the Middle East Eye on Monday. In the interview, the PM discussed the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, Pak-US ties among other issues.
The prime minister was of the opinion that two decades of civil war badly affected Afghanistan's peace and stability, saying that the Taliban who 'sacrificed' would want to be rewarded by getting governmental positions after all these years.
He added that the Taliban government was "clearly trying to get international acceptability so it wants an inclusive government, talks about human rights and not allowing its soil to be used for terrorism by anyone".
The PM said that there would be consequences if the world failed to engage with Afghanistan. "There must be hardliners within the group [and] it can easily go back to the Taliban of 20 years ago. And that would be a disaster."
He said that the country was engaging with those groups of the TTP who can be be reconciled 'from a position of strength'. Khan reiterated that there are no military solutions to insurgencies.
The PM said. "We now have to talk to those we can reconcile with.. to give up their arms and live as normal citizens."
PM Imran Khan once again called on the international community to engage with the Taliban, saying that the failure to do so would push them 20 years back.
He expressed these views in an interview with the Middle East Eye on Monday. In the interview, the PM discussed the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, Pak-US ties among other issues.
The prime minister was of the opinion that two decades of civil war badly affected Afghanistan's peace and stability, saying that the Taliban who 'sacrificed' would want to be rewarded by getting governmental positions after all these years.
He added that the Taliban government was "clearly trying to get international acceptability so it wants an inclusive government, talks about human rights and not allowing its soil to be used for terrorism by anyone".
The PM said that there would be consequences if the world failed to engage with Afghanistan. "There must be hardliners within the group [and] it can easily go back to the Taliban of 20 years ago. And that would be a disaster."