Former Afghan interior minister Umar Daudzai has said that the Taliban do not represent the Afghan people and that linking Pakistan’s fight against militancy to the Afghan population is incorrect.
In a post on Facebook, Daudzai was commenting on recent remarks by Pakistan’s Army Chief. He wrote that if the statement referred to Afghans living across the Durand Line, it might be partly understandable, but stressed that Afghan Taliban represent less than five per cent of Afghanistan’s population and cannot be seen as the voice of the Afghan people.
Daudzai said the Afghan public has repeatedly made it clear that it holds no hostility towards the people of Pakistan.
The former interior minister, who also served as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan, added that Pakistan’s real conflict is with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and possibly with Afghan Taliban as well. However, he said this conflict should not be portrayed as a war against Afghan citizens, nor should it be used to justify actions against Afghan refugees.
He recalled that in August 2021, thousands of TTP members were released from Afghan prisons following the collapse of the former Afghan government.
According to Daudzai, Pakistani Taliban fighters had earlier fought alongside Afghan Taliban against the previous Afghan state, but their current aim is to overthrow the Pakistani state.
Daudzai warned that broad and sweeping statements, along with avoiding responsibility, would not solve the issue and could further complicate the situation and increase tensions.
