KOHAT, Oct 7: Mohammad Chamkani Sharano, who served as a senator for four years during former king Zahir Shah’s rule in Afghanistan, has said that the only solution to the Afghan imbroglio lies in the establishment of a broad-based government under Zahir Shah, and urged the Taliban to accept the international community’s demand and save the country and its people from further devastation.

In an exclusive interview with Dawn at his residence in KDA Township on Sunday, Mr Sharano said that all ethnic groups should be given representation in the government, and added that the Taliban had only been ruling and conquering the land and not the hearts of Afghans.

The Taliban had now lost the support of UAE and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan was also annoyed by their non-cooperation in handling the present crisis.

Mr Sharano said that efforts of the international community for the formation of a broad-based government were praiseworthy and had the support of majority of Afghans because the people had become sick of the situation in their homeland prevailing for the last two decades.

Afghan refugees, living in Pakistan and elsewhere, wanted peace in their homeland so that they could return, and this was possible only if Zahir Shah came back to Kabul, he added.

Mr Sharano said that whenever an attempt was made by any party in Afghanistan to rule the country without the active participation of Tajiks, Uzbeks, and other ethnic groups, results had been disastrous.