GOA: Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Russia, and India called for a representative government in Afghanistan and the safeguarding of women’s rights, Reuters reported on Friday.
The top diplomats of Pakistan, Russia, and India were addressing at a day-long Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Goa, just before of a weekend meeting in Islamabad between the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s FM Bilawal Bhutto said the situation in Afghanistan brings both new difficulties and opportunities. He said that after being the playground for great powers on several occasions, “we owe it to the Afghan people not to repeat the mistakes of the past”. He went on to say that “a united international community must continue to urge Afghan authorities to adopt universally accepted principles of political inclusivity and to respect the rights of all Afghans, including the right of girls to education.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Taliban leadership will “deliver on their promises to form an inclusive government.”
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that the evolving situation in Afghanistan remains at the forefront of their attention. He said their efforts should be focused on the Afghan people’s well-being. He said that their immediate goals include humanitarian assistance, ensuring a truly inclusive and representative administration, battling terrorism and drug trafficking, and protecting the rights of women, children, and minorities.
Afghan Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, after a 20-year battle against US-led forces that surprised the world, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country.
This week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a grave shortfall in funding pledges for this year’s humanitarian appeal, which is just over 6% financed and falls short of the $4.6 billion needed for a country where the majority of the population lives in poverty. Afghan Taliban have also imposed restrictions on women’s participation in public life, including prohibiting women from attending university and closing girls’ high schools.
