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Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that Afghanistan will descend into civil war if Taliban do not form an inclusive government including all factions of the society, the Express Tribute reported.

“If they [Taliban] don’t include all factions, sooner or later they will have again a sort of a civil war,” the premier said in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, reports said.

PM Imran’s statement comes days after he announced that he had initiated dialogue with the Taliban for an inclusive government in Afghanistan to include Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbek ethnic groups, said reports.

“After meetings in Dushanbe with the leaders of Afghanistan’s neighbours & especially a lengthy discussion with Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, I have initiated a dialogue with the Taliban for an inclusive Afghan govt to include Tajiks, Hazaras & Uzbeks,” the prime minister had said on Twitter.

In today’s interview, PM Imran said that Pakistan’s “biggest worry is that huge humanitarian crisis [in Afghanistan] will lead to a refugee problem”. “Chaotic and unstable Afghanistan will be an ideal place for terrorists that will impact Pakistan too,” he added as per reports.

PM Imran said he believed that Afghan women are “very strong” and with time they will assert their rights under the Taliban rule, reports adde.

“At the moment it’s too early to say anything… it’s barely been a month after 20 years of war they have [Taliban] come back into power,” said the premier while responding to q questions regarding concerns over women rights under the Taliban regime, reports said.

“Earlier in the day, the Taliban said that they admired PM Imran’s efforts for peace, stability and an inclusive government in Afghanistan.”

“We do not see the positive statements of Prime Minister Imran as interference in the internal matters of Afghanistan,” Spokesperson for Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid said during a news conference in Kabul, reports said

The spokesperson further added that Pakistan, Qatar and China were playing an active-role for the stability in Afghanistan.

“We will welcome the role of countries which are interested to work with good intent of peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he reportedly said.

“We are heading towards an inclusive government,” Mujahid said. “More people from different ethnicities including Hazaras, technocrats and educated people have been inducted in the interim cabinet. The cabinet formation is not complete yet and more people will also be included in it.” (Express Tribune)