Pakistan is set to host a meeting with anti-Taliban figures in Islamabad on August 25th and 26th, as tensions rise in Afghanistan. The gathering will include around 30 participants, including exiled Afghan politicians, activists, women’s rights advocates, and protest representatives, alongside senior Pakistani officials. The agenda covers human rights, the status of women and girls, and the future of Afghanistan.
Reportedly an informal event, dubbed the “Pak-Afghan Dialogue – Towards Unity and Trust,” it’s orchestrated by the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute University in Islamabad. Observers believe this maneuver is a challenge to the Taliban’s rule and a strategy to frame them as a terrorist entity.
Former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has criticized Pakistan’s backing of the event, warning it could backfire. He highlighted that the meeting could escalate existing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and deemed the action irresponsible.
Pakistan has raised concerns at the UN about terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, viewing it as a serious threat. Pakistan’s envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad highlighted the ongoing instability, including the presence of ISIS-K. He noted that while the Taliban has fought against ISIS-K, it has not taken similar action against groups like the TTP and Baloch insurgents. Pakistan sees the TTP, with its 6,000 fighters, as a significant and immediate threat. Despite Taliban denials, UN reports confirm the TTP’s presence.
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan declined an invitation to the meeting. The Pakistani foreign ministry has not commented. The meeting occurs as the Taliban’s foreign minister postponed a planned visit to Pakistan. Additionally, a trilateral meeting of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan’s foreign ministers took place in Kabul on August 20th, focusing on mutual interests. Pakistan’s trade goals were not achieved; however, China secured its strategic interests through agreements on extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Kabul.