PM Imran Khan’s ominous warning, that Afghanistan risks descending into civil war if the Taliban are unable to form an inclusive government, ought to be taken seriously by all stakeholders because the honeymoon period is clearly over and decision time has come to the neighbouring country. So far neither the Taliban nor western countries have inspired much confidence. The US has frozen close to $10b of the Afghan central bank’s money in its banks and other western countries are following its lead in making formal recognition of the new regime contingent upon things like forming an inclusive govt, taking minorities along, protecting women rights, etc. And the Taliban have also been setting the wrong example. Despite assurances they have neither accommodated anybody else than their own hardline old guard in the interim government nor done much to ensure rights of minorities and women. Instead, they are now saying that they would make the concessions expected of them after they are recognized, not before it. That puts the cart before the horse from almost all points of view. And if this condition goes on, and donors do not release any money, and the Taliban do not take the entire country along, then the PM is right to fear a return of civil war in that country. As always, Pakistan stands to suffer the most of all regional countries from such an outcome. Refugees will flood into the country, naturally bringing a lot of terrorists and insurgents hidden among them, and then the security situation will also come under pressure. Therefore, it’s better for all parties to take a step back and reassess the situation. The fall of Kabul was completely peaceful, defying expectations, but now that peace is coming under strain. There is an urgent need for sanity to prevail. Western countries, led by the US of course, must open all sorts of aid to Afghanistan. It is not wise to push the Taliban regime into a corner at this point. Because if they fell forced to retaliate in the same manner, then we will be pushed right back into the kind of situation that lasted for 20 years before the Americans finally packed up and left in the middle of the night. And that would be to nobody’s benefit. The ball is in Washington’s court. *