In an interview with AFP during a visit to Washington, Bilawal warned against creating “parallel governance” after the US placed Afghanistan’s frozen assets in a professional fund in Switzerland, out of distrust for the Taliban.
“We’ve learned in the past that when we wash our hands and turn our backs, we end up creating unintended consequences and adding to our problems,” he explained.
“I believe that our concerns about an economic collapse, a refugee exodus, and a threat of new recruits for organisations such as ISIS-K and others outweigh any concerns about their financial institutions.”
Following the end of a two-decade war, the Taliban reclaimed power last year. Relations with Pakistan had deteriorated, with the country’s powerful military and intelligence apparatus accused in Washington of quietly nurturing the Taliban despite providing logistical support to US forces.
Unlike some previous Pakistani officials, the foreign minister – whose mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in 2007 – did not express support for the Taliban.
However, he stated that they required “political space” on issues such as women’s rights, which have been severely restricted.
“Throughout history, theocratic, autocratic regimes haven’t exactly expanded rights during times of economic strife,” he said.
“In fact, they tend to cling to cultural and other issues in order to engage their audience.”
The US came away from a series of talks with the Taliban unconvinced, and in August said they had broken promises by welcoming Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was discovered at a house in Kabul and killed in a US strike.
Bhutto Zardari, the 34-year-old Oxford-educated scion of a political dynasty, took office five months ago amid political turmoil in Pakistan following a no-confidence vote in former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The unrest comes as floods in Pakistan have submerged one-third of the country, displacing millions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised long-term support during a meeting on Monday. The top US diplomat also urged Islamabad to ask China to restructure debt accumulated while Beijing constructs billions of dollars of infrastructure in pursuit of Indian Ocean port access.
