Fawzia Koofi in Pakistan: Unconditional Engagement with Taliban Repeats 30-Year Mistake

Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan's parliament, described Pakistan's long-term support for the Afghan Taliban as a 'mistake' and warned that unconditional engagement with the group repeats the same error of the past 30 years.

Speaking at the sixth annual Asma Jahangir conference in Lahore on February 18-19, Koofi linked rising insecurity in Pakistan to Islamabad's past support for the Taliban. She stated that over three decades, the Taliban maintained open centers in Pakistan, with their families residing there and engaging in business activities. Koofi noted that officials from Afghanistan's former government had repeatedly warned Pakistan about this.

Koofi emphasized that the Taliban and other violent extremist groups pose a real threat to Pakistan and the region. She cautioned against 'unbridled engagement' with a group whose governance is based solely on supremacy, without other programs. She highlighted the Taliban's systematic violation of women's and girls' rights, depriving them of basic human and social rights.

Bilal Azhar Kiani, Pakistan's State Minister for Finance and Revenue, referred to the Doha agreement, stressing commitments for an inclusive political process and preventing the use of Afghan soil for attacks against other countries. He said that despite frequent high-level Pakistani delegations to Afghanistan and engagement with the Taliban, 'everything has failed.' Kiani claimed the Taliban regime has retreated from its commitments and shown no willingness to cooperate, attributing this not to diplomatic failure but to a lack of will and intent in the Taliban regime.

Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, insecurity and militant attacks in Pakistan have increased. Pakistani officials accuse the Taliban of supporting and sheltering anti-Islamabad militants. UN Security Council reports confirm the presence of militants, including the Pakistani Taliban, in Afghanistan, though the Taliban consistently denies these allegations.