Former ambassadors of Canada and Australia said they consider it important to interact with the current Afghan government.Arif Lalani, a former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, said it is time for diplomats to return to Kabul and deal with the Islamic Emirate.“We never should have left,” Arif Lalani told CTV News. “Even if we don’t get much, certainly we’re better off being on the ground, seeing for ourselves and trying to moderate these extreme tendencies, than simply being on the sidelines outside of the country.”
“I don’t think they have any commitment to human rights, but I don’t think that we are going to make incremental progress unless we are on the ground. So, we have got to be on the ground,” he noted.
Lalani also asked Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect human rights in Afghanistan by using their influence in Afghanistan.“We have got to use financial leverage, we also have to use leverage with the countries the Taliban might listen to. And you know what that means. Pakistan, maybe Saudi Arabia. But we really need to impose on those countries that put pressure on the Taliban,” the Canadian ambassador said.Nicola Gordon-Smith, former Australian ambassador to Afghanistan, said that to support the people of Afghanistan and return girls to schools, it will be necessary to have some engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
“They need support beyond simple humanitarian assistance – they need investment, essential services, and support for economic growth, in spite of their challenging conditions.
In order to know what might be possible, including what could be the best way to see Afghan girls back in schools, it will be necessary to have some engagement with the Taliban,” Gordon-Smith said.“Establishing political and diplomatic relations between countries is based on their national interests. —Tolonews
