Afghan Protestors In Canada Say Diplomacy With Taliban Won’t Provide Solution

On the first day of the Doha meeting, a group of Afghan protestors in the city of Calgary in Canada gathered to protest against the invitation of the Taliban to the meeting and the United Nations' focus on interaction with the Taliban.

One of the organisers of this gathering said that the world cannot change the policies of the Taliban through interaction.

These demonstrators voiced their opposition to human rights violations, gender apartheid imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the targeted attacks on the Hazara community.

Sediqullah Tawhidi, one of the organisers of the protest, told Afghanistan International that despite the interaction of several countries with the Taliban, the group has not changed its policies.

He highlighted numerous instances of human rights violations in Afghanistan, specifically emphasising on the widespread denial of women's social and economic rights by the Taliban, persisting despite international appeals.

"Why does the world interact with a terrorist group? Diplomacy and interaction will not lead to the group’s alteration of policies. The world should support the efforts of the Afghan people to overthrow the Taliban," he said.

The United Nations invited the Taliban to participate in the Doha meeting, however, the group declined to attend, citing the non-acceptance of their demands by the United Nations as the reason for their refusal.

Several nations, including the United States, China, and Russia, have expressed their expectation that diplomatic engagement with the Taliban will prompt a positive shift in the group's behaviour. However, Tawhidi said that the Taliban had two years to change, yet they did not alter their stance.