Pak. closes Taliban consulates

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 20. A day after the announcement that it was no longer conducting any business with the Taliban militia, Pakistan today ordered closure of the Taliban Consulates in Quetta and Peshwar.

The decision is a sequel to the announcement made by the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, on Monday that Islamabad no longer recognised the Taliban regime as the legitimate Government of Afghanistan.

Mr. Sattar maintained that since the Taliban regime has collapsed, Pakistan was no longer conducting any business with the militia. At the same time, he said, there was no move either for announcement of formal de-recognition of the regime or directive to the Taliban Ambassador, Mullah Abdul Saleem Zaeef, to leave the country.

The Minister said diplomatic norms demanded that the host country continue to extend diplomatic immunity and privileges to an accredited Ambassador even if the Government he represented no longer existed.

Islamabad is basically on the horns of a dilemma ever since the Northern Alliance forces - the group it has steadfastly opposed in the last few years - walked into Kabul. Pakistan does not want to recognise the regime and has been reminding the U.N. and U.S. about the promise on establishment of a `broad-based and multi- ethnic' Government in Afghanistan.

The decision of the Musharraf Government today to order closure of the Consulate offices of the Taliban marks the end of the relationship with the regime. Pakistan remained the only country in the world that continued to recognise the Taliban after the United Arab Emirates and the Saudi Arabia stopped recognising it in the aftermath of September 11.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Mr. Aziz Khan, who announced the decision to close the Taliban Consulates in Peshawar and Quetta said that it was prompted by the Northern Alliance taking over the border posts near Quetta. With the change on the ground situation, the visas issued by the Taliban Consulate have no relevance. A similar confusion prevailed in Peshawar too, he said.

The spokesman said that Pakistan was reasonably optimistic about the outcome of the meetings of various Afghan groups being convened by the U.N. for the formation of a broad- based Government in Kabul.

``We are fairly optimistic about this. The international community has given full support to the U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi. The U.N. has given commitment and the Security Council resolution is there. So there is every reason to be optimistic that the outcome would be positive and soon,'' he said.

He also said that Pakistan supported the moves to form a multi- national force to provide security to the transitory Government in Afghanistan.``We support the formation of a multi- national force. The U.N. has to work out the modalities to constitute such a force. Pakistan would take part in the discussions when the subject figured in the agenda of the U.N.,'' he said.

Asked whether Pakistan has established direct contacts with the Northern Alliance in Kabul, he said: ``We have not had direct contacts with the Alliance.'' However, indications were that the opposition alliance has responded positively to the formation of multi-ethnic Government in Afghanistan,'' he said.

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Section  : International
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