As the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is scrambling for global recognition, its adherent supporter Pakistan has tasked itself with convincing the international community into accepting the interim government of the group despite reports of continued human rights abuses in the country.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his ministers have made several failed attempts to garner support and recognition for the Taliban in recent months.
And they are doing so by turning a blind eye to pilling reports of public executions, a violent crackdown on media, suppression of women, banning girls from schools, and violating the rights of ethnic minorities in Afghanistan.
In another such attempt this time, Pakistan has knocked on the doors of fellow Muslim countries.
The country is hosting a special meeting of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) today on the Afghan crisis.
Experts believe that Pakistan wants to rally OIC countries to extend assistance to the Taliban. Pakistan has been accused of abetting the Taliban and burgeoning the Afghanistan crisis.
Notably, Pakistan's OIC meeting is coinciding with India's India-Central Asia Dialogue. The conference, which marks the 3rd edition of the dialogue is expected to focus on developments in Afghanistan.
Despite Pakistan's efforts to project itself as a sole promotor of peace in Afghanistan, foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have arrived in India for India-Central Asia Dialogue.
All five Central Asian nations are OIC members but their Foreign Ministers have chosen to attend the meeting in New Delhi instead. The three-day event will go on till Monday (December 20).
This is indicative of the increasing trust and cooperation between India and the central Asian countries. This also shows the rising mistrust between Pakistan and neighbouring countries.
While Pakistan is pushing for international recognition of the Taliban regime without considering the wishes of the people of Afghanistan, India has always called for the need for an inclusive government in Kabul and a zero-tolerance stance on the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups.
With Pakistan working overtime to back the Taliban, India is working closely with Afghanistan's western neighbours to bring stability to the country.
India last month hosted a regional security dialogue on Afghanistan which was attended by top security officials of five central Asian countries and Iran and Russia.
During the meet, India put emphasis on the need for an inclusive government and addressing the increasingly critical humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan leaders using warnings of civil war to blackmail the world into accepting the Taliban
Within hours of Kabul's fall, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the Afghan people had "broken the shackles of slavery" to the West.
Pakistan has lobbied the international community - close allies China and Russia in particular - to garner support for a collective diplomatic engagement with the Taliban.
It has been more than 4-months since the Taliban seized control over Afghanistan but it has not been recognized by any nation of the world yet.
Respect for women and human rights, establishing inclusive government, not allowing Afghanistan to become a safe haven of terrorism are the preconditions for the recognition set by the international community.
The Taliban has so far implemented none of these but has been promising to do so.
( With inputs from ANI )
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