Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United States, United Kingdom and United Nations and one of the country’s internationally most highly regarded foreign policy analysts says the government the Taliban forms will be “a key test of whether they have fundamentally changed”.Maleeha Lodhi says it has to be an inclusive government if it’s to offer “some hope of peace and security in Afghanistan”. She says it must be “a broad-based government including different ethnic and political groups”. More importantly, she says, the Taliban have “got to negotiate with the Northern Alliance” and accommodate them in the government.In a 39-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Maleeha Lodhi, who twice served as Pakistan’s Ambassador in the United States, says “international recognition is an important inducement to push the Taliban”. However, she said the West should not lay down conditions. That could be counter-productive. It has already made its position clear and it needs to keep repeating this without making it conditional.Elaborating, Lodhi said there are three key “asks” or “demands” that the rest of the world requires the Taliban to fulfil. The first is an inclusive government. Second, there should be no attacks from Afghan soil on any country. Third, respect for human rights and, in particular, women’s rights.However, in The Wire interview, Lodhi categorically and forcefully refused to accept that Pakistan and its ISI have played a critical role in funding, logistically supporting and militarily assisting the Taliban. All she would admit is that “we have kept a channel open over the years”.Maleeha Lodhi said it’s because of this channel that Pakistan was able to bring Taliban to the negotiating table. She also said its because of this channel that Afghanistan has not erupted into a civil war.However, when asked by The Wire if Pakistan was claiming credit, Maleeha Lodhi seemed to shy away from that position and said that Pakistan “had played a role”.In the interview to The Wire, Maleeha Lodhi said Pakistan would use its influence with the Taliban to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a sanctuary for jihadi/terrorist groups such as TTP, ETIM and several others that are of concern to Iran and Afghanistan’s northern neighbours. However, when it was pointed out to her that she had not named LeT and Jaish, two groups that are known to be fighting alongside the Taliban inside Afghanistan and which are supported by Pakistan, she said “no violent group that attacks any country should have refuge in Afghanistan”.However, under further questioning Lodhi added that “Taliban have to show that they have not only severed their links with all jihadi/terror groups but also acted against them”.Asked by The Wire whether last week’s bombing by ISIS and the continuing rocket attacks are a sign the Taliban does not have complete control of Kabul she said “it’s too early to judge”. She said up till now security has been divided between America and the Taliban and there have been chaotic crowds at the airport.Watch the full interview here.
