Dushanbe/Kabul/Washington, August 25 (UNI): Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon has firmly conveyed to Pakistan that Tajiks make up more than 46% of Afghanistan’s population and should play a major role in the future government there, and Tajikistan will not recognise any government to be formed in Kabul through oppression.
In a meeting with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, President Rahmon said one of the major threats to regional security is the current situation in Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the withdrawal of coalition forces,” he said, according to a presidential statement.
He said the dangerous situation that has developed in Afghanistan in recent days is not only the problem of the Afghan people, but also one of the most pressing regional and global issues today.
“It should be noted that the coming to power of the Taliban movement in Kabul has further complicated the geopolitical process in the region at this stage.
“Evidence clearly shows that the Taliban are abandoning their previous promises to form an interim government with the broad participation of other political forces in the country and are preparing to establish an Islamic emirate,” he noted.
“Tajikistan strongly condemns all forms of lawlessness, murder, looting and persecution of the Afghan people, especially Tajiks, Uzbeks and other national minorities,” he said.
“It was stressed at the meeting that the victim Afghanistan and this friendly and brotherly nation of ours should not be dragged back into the whirlpool of bloody imposed wars.
As a close neighbour, Tajikistan has always supported the restoration of lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and remains committed to this position, he said.
“The Republic of Tajikistan stressed that in order to urgently address the political and security problems of the neighbouring country, an inclusive government should be established as soon as possible with the participation of all national minorities, especially Tajiks in Afghanistan, who make up more than 46% of the population.”
WB stops aid
The World Bank is halting all financial assistance for projects to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) assuming power in the country, a World Bank spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“We have paused disbursements in our operations in Afghanistan and we are closely monitoring and assessing the situation in line with our internal policies and procedures. As we do so, we will continue to consult closely with the international community and development partners,” the spokesperson of World Bank told CNBC broadcaster.
Deep concern was also expressed by the organization in relation to “the impact on the country’s development prospects, especially for women”.
The World Bank has invested $5.3 billion for development projects in the country, according to the organization’s website.
