On Sunday Pakistan’s foreign minister said that violence and lawlessness could reign in Afghanistan after the United States withdrawal, and that peace in Afghanistan was in Pakistan’s interest. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan would shut its border to the country if Taliban takes control over it.
The minister said that Pakistan had already taken in over 3.5 million of Afghan Refugees but would not accept any more into their country.
He said that they can not take more, they would have to shut their border to safeguard their national interests, adding that they would continue the diplomatic efforts of peace in the country and would welcome it democratically elected leadership.
The minister said that the final withdrawal of US and NATO forces was being continued and hoped for peace to follow through a negotiated settlement between the warring sides.
In 1989, during the fight between Mujahedeen groups after the Soviet withdrawal, over 5 million of Afghans fled to Pakistan, out of which 1.5 million were still living as refugees in Pakistan.
Until being ousted by a US led coalition after the September 11, 2001, attacks in America, Taliban ruled Afghanistan. Recently, the Taliban fighters had overrun several districts in south and northern Afghanistan, while convincing the government security forces to surrender and seizing their weapons and their military vehicles.