KABUL—Mujib Rahimi, former spokesman for Abdullah Abdullah, urged Fawzia Koofi and other anti-Taliban figures to join hands with Pakistan, whose long service to the Taliban makes it uniquely qualified to explain where everything went wrong.
Islamabad’s disagreement with the Pakistani Taliban has naturally deepened its concern for Afghan democracy. Nothing encourages reflection on a neighbor’s suffering quite like discovering the same service is available domestically.
Rahimi brings Abdullah’s patient tradition of sharing power. For five years, Abdullah helped Ghani avoid the loneliness of governing by disputing his authority from inside the government. When both lost their offices, the Taliban kindly settled the remaining differences.
Koofi had already helped reconciliation along in Moscow, where she kindly noticed that the Taliban had changed. “They are much more open now,” she explained. “We discussed removing Ghani, and nobody raised a religious objection.”
Once they entered Kabul, she generously reassessed them. The Taliban had been suitable company while discussing Ghani’s departure; their insistence on staying afterward introduced an unfortunate misunderstanding.
Her concern for Afghan women now requires international opposition to the same gentlemen whose improved manners she had previously helped introduce abroad. Both positions came from the heart, which has sensibly kept pace with the seating arrangements.
Rahimi then read a message from Abdullah, who welcomed Pakistan’s willingness to make the difficult decisions.
“I ask only for my customary 50%,” he wrote. “Pakistan may keep full responsibility.”