NEW DELHI: Trepidation, consternation and some very cautious optimism- that has been the general approach as nations of the world scramble to formulate an Afghan policy in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover.
No country, whether an US ally or not, has shown an eagerness to recognise the Taliban government, or take its assurances at face value.
However there is one exception- Pakistan.
Islamabad was among the only three countries that recognised the previous Taliban government. Once again, it is scurrying to buy legitimacy for the Taliban at a plethora of international fora- from the UN to SCO.

Pakistani ministers have tried to prevail upon the world leadership to engage with the Taliban. In the latest, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that failure to engage with the Taliban could “push the group back by 20 years.”
In an interview to London-based news outlet Middle East Eye that covers the region, Khan said the gains will be lost if hardliners within the Taliban ranks are allowed to take an upper hand.
Warning that Afghanistan could again descend into chaos and become a breeding ground for terrorist groups like the Isis, Khan cautioned against isolating and imposing sanctions on the country.
“What will the US have to show after 20 years? Therefore, a stable Afghanistan government which can then take on Isis, and the Taliban are the best bet to take on Isis,” Imran said.
In a jibe at US, he said that the country had to “pull itself together” from the shock it had suffered after the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan.

On women rights, Khan said the Taliban should be incentivised to “walk the talk,” and reminded about their assurances on women’s rights to work and education.
Afghanistan’s new regime has shown little signs of having reformed and modernised from their ultra-conservative Islamic ethos of the 1996-2001 days. Women have been barred from work at many places, severe restrictions put at educational institutions and edicts issued on dress codes.
Observers think that the composition of the current government in Kabul, with a lopsided representation of hardliners, was covertly engineered by Pakistan and its agencies. Sher Mohammad Stanikzai and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, considered moderate voices, were given insignificant positions in the government. Erstwhile ISI chief’s visit to Kabul in the days leading to the government formation lent further credence to the notion.