Murtaza Solangi, spokesperson for the president of Pakistan, has said the Taliban, who came to power through “suicide attacks and explosions,” have no authority to teach Pakistan about democracy.
Solangi made the remarks in response to statements by Taliban representatives about democracy in Pakistan. He said the group came to power in Afghanistan after years of “bombings, explosive attacks and suicide attacks,” yet, despite this record, is now “lecturing” Pakistan on democracy.
The Pakistani president’s spokesperson also accused the Taliban of violating their commitments under the Doha Agreement and stripping Afghan women and girls of their fundamental freedoms.
He added that the group continues to harass and persecute ethnic and religious minorities in Afghanistan.
“This is a very great contradiction: A regime that derives its legitimacy from the gun dares to question the democratic credentials of a country shaped by the will of millions of its citizens,” he said.
The remarks come as Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, said at the Moscow Format meeting on Monday that disagreements between Kabul and Islamabad can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. He said, however, that Pakistan has chosen the “language of force” instead of political understanding.
