Afghanistan – Unfinished Business

Toaha Qureshi MBE meets with former Chief of Defence Staff General the Lord Sir David Richards at the Royal College of Defence Studies, London. During the discussion, Mr Qureshi raised the issue of working with the Taliban to a political solution through dialogue. Lord Richards said Pakistan is key in ensuring peace and although Pakistan is classed as the villain at times, it shouldn’t be. If Pakistan and Afghanistan can work together in economic trade and security it will be a brighter future. It would be tragic to see any future that would be bleak for them.
Sir William Patey, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan said that without Pakistan, a deal with the Taliban would not be possible. The political establishment and the Army/ISI are also important. Echoing the words of Mr Qureshi, he said that dialogue with the Taliban is important since they hold considerable influence in Kandahar and Helmand. After the discussion, Lord Richards presented his new autobiography to Mr Qureshi.