Anti-Taliban Gathering Meet Scheduled To Take Place In Pakistan On Aug 25-26 Gets Postponed

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) As New Delhi expands its diplomatic footprints in Kabul vis-a-vis the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, rumours are abuzz that the all-powerful military and ISI in Islamabad are feeling the heat of this engagement and are not happy with the improvement of ties between its two neighbours.

With the geopolitics in South Asia facing a new turn, the Taliban regime, which has still not been able to get widespread global recognition, is slowly making steps and is engaging both with the regional powers, including India and China, as well as with the West, not to forget getting a recognition from Russia a few days back.

With Islamabad and Kabul facing a rough time over several issues including the increase in attacks on the Durand Line, the threat of TTP militants and Kabul's engagement with New Delhi, Pakistan a few days back planned a gathering of anti-Taliban grouping including human rights activists, Afghan political groups and others, scheduled to take place on August 25-26.

With now just a day left, sources told IANS that the planned gathering has now been postponed.

The two-day event organised by Pakistan's South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) now faces a roadblock.

"Since the rise of the Taliban in 2021 after the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government, the military leadership in Rawalpindi hasn't been able to digest our triumph. And this is not for the first time. Whether it was the previous regime or even the current Taliban regime, Pakistan has been creating issues, and they are not happy with our engagement with New Delhi," a Kabul-based source told IANS.

According to the information, there were nearly 35-40 anti-Taliban people who were all set to attend that conference in Islamabad, mainly focusing on human rights issues, the condition of women in Afghanistan, amongst others. Similarly, there were rumours that Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front, was also scheduled to participate.

But sources reveal that he isn't going to attend this meeting, given his principled stand that his participation in this gathering in Islamabad could tarnish his image. Pakistan has been blaming the Afghan Taliban for not stopping the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has become a major threat for the ISI as the group continues to attack Pakistani security forces. Although Kabul has denied any support for the TTP, Pakistan continues to blame the Afghan Taliban.

The US former envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, also criticised Pakistan's decision to host the event, calling it "immature, irresponsible and unfortunate".

"This conference, as it is currently organized, is not a suitable place for patriotic Afghans. Organize it independently and elsewhere, not in such a suspicious gathering. I don't believe you would want the ISI's stamp on your forehead," he wrote on X.

The postponement of this gathering came a few days after the sixth meeting of the dialogue of the Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan was held in Kabul on August 20.

The crucial trilateral meeting focused on security, infrastructure, economic cooperation, trade, CPEC, terrorism and other crucial issues.

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