ISLAMABAD: Experts have criticised the Afghan interim government’s envoy after videos of his address at the National Defence University (NDU) circulated on social media, saying the incident should not be interpreted as a change in Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy.
The viral videos have sparked discussion on social media about Pakistan’s policy toward Afghanistan. Experts said the facts surrounding the event needed to be understood in the proper institutional context.
According to the experts, NDU is a leading academic and research institution where diplomats from around the world are invited as guest speakers to present and discuss different perspectives. They noted that Indian diplomats have also been invited to the university in the past.
They stressed that such academic engagements should not be construed as an indication of any change in Pakistan’s official policy toward Afghanistan.
Experts further explained that NDU’s sessions and lectures are conducted under the internationally recognised Chatham House Rule. Under the rule, information shared during a meeting may be used for academic or research purposes, but the identity, position or affiliation of the speaker or other participants should not be disclosed.
They alleged that the Afghan envoy recorded and subsequently shared videos from inside the session on social media without authorisation.
According to the experts, the alleged recording and release of the footage amounted to a serious violation of diplomatic norms and academic protocols. They said the incident raised questions about the Afghan interim government’s commitment to international norms and established standards of diplomatic conduct.
The experts argued that the episode demonstrated what they described as a lack of trustworthiness and disregard for diplomatic and ethical conventions on the part of the Afghan Taliban.
They maintained that the NDU engagement was an academic exercise aimed at facilitating discussion and should not be linked to any formal shift in Pakistan’s Afghanistan policy.
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