Pak: Afghan diplomat urges international recognition of Taliban regime

Peshawar [Pakistan], July 23 (ANI): Afghan Consul General in Peshawar, Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir has urged international recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
"We request recognition and whoever recognises us first, the entire Afghan nation will be indebted to them," he said in an interview with The Express Tribune.
Afghan Consul Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir said that the Taliban were not going to keep the baggage of a 20-year war against NATO and the allies as a sticking point but regretted that despite establishing total control over the country, the efforts to gain widespread legitimacy faced obstacles.
"We also have no complaint against the Arab states that recognised Israel since this is their internal issue but we call for our government to be recognised," he said.
Speaking over the visas and trade issue, the Afghan diplomat said he was optimistic that the current visa blues hindering the unrestricted travel of Afghan nationals through the border will be soon resolved.
"We are in talks with Pakistani authorities and the Afghan foreign minister too is engaged specifically on issues with the Torkham border. I hope all these issues are resolved in the near future," he said.
Meanwhile, crisis-ridden Afghanistan has been badly impacted by the economic and political instability in Pakistan.
Apart from that issues such as repeated border closures and persistent tensions between the two sides over the Durand Line have hampered trade inflows in Kabul.
Afghanistan's trade volumes, as well as economic empowerment, have been dependent on Pakistan for so many years. Due to this dependency, Kabul, which is already facing an economic crisis after the regime change in August last year, is now facing new difficulties on account of the fast deteriorating economic situation in Pakistan, Afghan Diaspora Network reported.
Pakistan's political crisis has begun to hit its worsening economic situation turning the conditions very painful and pitiable. Citizens' anger and frustration are at their peak in the country. Inflation is skyrocketing while peoples' purchasing power is fast declining.
Petrol prices in Pakistan have gone up to PKR 248.74 and diesel prices to PKR 276.54 and are likely to rise further. The increasing size of the external debt servicing in each quarter indicates the government has been borrowing dollars at higher commercial rates to meet its foreign debt repayment obligations, the Afghan Diaspora Network reported. (ANI)