8 Subh, Kabul: Tajikistan announces its readiness to mediate talks between the Taliban and the National Resistance Front (NRF). Tajikistan has reportedly called on both sides to end the conflict in Panjshir by establishing a ceasefire and paving the way for humanitarian aid.
Tajik President Imam Ali Rahman raised the issue at a news conference on Friday, September 17.
The Tajik president said the issue of Afghanistan was at the center of his talks with a Pakistani delegation led by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Resolve the conflict in Panjshir province as soon as possible by announcing a ceasefire and paving the way for humanitarian assistance from the United Nations, the Red Cross and other international organizations to the people of the region,” Referring to the Panjshir problem, he added. “It’s one of the most important tasks today.”
Imam Ali Rahman said Tajikistan and Pakistan are doing their best to achieve this goal.
The Tajik president also announced that the country was ready to facilitate talks between the Taliban and Tajiks in Dushanbe.
He expressed hope that peace and stability would be established in Afghanistan because the interests of all political and ethnic groups in Afghanistan depend on it.
“Tajikistan supports a comprehensive government in Afghanistan that includes all social groups and has a decent position for Afghan citizens, including Tajiks,” the Tajik president said.
He said that ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan depends only on this method. According to him, Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries also benefit the most from it.
At the same time, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan also emphasized that the Afghan crisis is the most important issue discussed between the two countries’ officials.
He stated that the situation in Afghanistan must be stabilized by providing humanitarian assistance to those in need.
Imran Khan described the Panjshir conflict as worrying, adding that Tajikistan would work on it through the Tajiks and Pakistan through the Pashtuns, who he believed were the Taliban government.
Pakistani PM calls on Afghans to form government of all ethnic groups. He believes that peace can only be achieved through the presence of tribes in proportion to their position in government.
He warned that Afghans were at a critical juncture where they had to choose between achieving their goals or escalating the conflict that would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Imran Khan said that Pakistan and Tajikistan support peace and do not want terrorist groups to use Afghan territory against the interests of other countries.
Imam Ali Rahman and Imran Khan met today on the side-lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to discuss various issues, including the situation in Afghanistan.
It is worth noting that although the Taliban have taken control of Panjshir, the National Resistance Front is still reporting their presence and continuing clashes with the Taliban in that province.
Earlier, it was reported that the Taliban had closed the roads to Panjshir and in some cases had a field trial.
The European Union and a number of other institutions have called on the Taliban to resolve their disputes with the leaders of the NRF through dialogue.
