World must brace for 'huge mess' if Pakistan's advice on Afghanistan is ignored: Fawad

Published August 30, 2021
In this file photo, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry  addressing the audience at the book launching ceremony of "Imran Khan Aur Naya Pakistan" on Feb 8, 2019 — APP
In this file photo, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry addressing the audience at the book launching ceremony of "Imran Khan Aur Naya Pakistan" on Feb 8, 2019 — APP

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has warned of potential spillovers from the Afghan crisis, saying the world would have to deal with a “huge mess” if Pakistan’s advice on the war-ravaged country was ignored.

In an interview with TRT World today, Chaudhry said the world must listen to Pakistan as “in the recent past, Pakistan’s advice had not been paid heed to, and if Pakistan and the prime minister’s advice was listened to, the situation would have been different."

The minister said the situation in Afghanistan was “very worrying” for Pakistan, recalling that “we had to deal with the problems when the Soviet Union left Afghanistan in 1988.”

He said that while the Troika Plus, comprising Russia, China, US and Pakistan, had an important role to play in solving the Afghan conflict, the other group consisting of Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and other central Asian states too needed to take an active role to help [resolve the crisis].

Chaudhry continued that Pakistan was yet again in a quagmire as the US and Nato forces were leaving Afghanistan. He cautioned that Pakistan was already hosting 3.5 million Afghan refugees, adding “that our economy is not that strong to take more refugees”.

“The way Afghanistan has been abandoned in the past and if the world repeats the same mistake, we will have hub of extremist organisations right at the border of Pakistan which will obviously be hugely worrying for us,” he cautioned.

The minister insisted that Pakistan was trying its best to stabilise the region as “we are working with regional and international powers for an inclusive government in Afghanistan.”

Chaudhry said, however, that there was no refugee crisis at the moment, saying Pakistan had evacuated foreign nationals from Kabul. “As far as migrants are concerned, because as this stage the takeover was bloodless, so there isn't a refugee crisis yet and our border is actually normal right now.”

He underlined that Pakistan had a comprehensive strategy to deal with instability as “we do not want to repeat the 1977 episode as we don’t want these migrants to get into Pakistan”.

He stressed that arrangements will be made at the Pak-Afghan border to deal with the exodus of people. “The world has to come to help Pakistan in that situation.”

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...