Asif Ali Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, said that the Taliban will remain in power as long as they continue to receive support from the international community.
In an interview with Amu TV’s “Dareez” show, Durrani, who was recently dismissed from his post, predicted that internal pressure on the Taliban will increase over time.
He emphasized that the Taliban cannot sustain their rule while maintaining severe restrictions on women. “Eventually, the Afghan people will rise and stand against the Taliban,” he said.
However, Durrani dismissed the possibility of another civil war in Afghanistan.
Although Pakistan has historically provided refuge to opponents of Afghan governments, Durrani said that the idea of creating an “exiled government” led by Taliban opponents, such as Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ahmad Massoud, remains “a hypothesis” and “speculation.”
When asked if Pakistan would provide a base for these opposition figures to form a government in exile, Durrani noted that Pakistan had only offered shelter to “genuine opposition” in the past. He reiterated that the notion of an exiled government is merely hypothetical.
Durrani did not offer any specific reasons for his dismissal but expressed hope that he would one day meet with the Taliban leadership.
Sources previously told Amu TV that Durrani’s departure was linked to disagreements with Pakistan’s military leadership over Afghanistan policy.
Durrani served as Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan for nearly a year and four months before being removed from his position last week by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
Pakistan created the role of special envoy for Afghanistan after the 2020 Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban. Since then, two diplomats—Sadiq Khan and Asif Ali Durrani—have held the position.
