Australia is being urged to engage diplomatically with the Taliban five years after its takeover of Afghanistan, but not to legitimise the terror group.
The Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, weeks after the United States withdrew all troops from the nation it had helped govern for two decades.
Geopolitical strategist Sami Omari has stressed the importance of relations with the Afghan government, whose constituents are suffering blamelessly.
"Engagement with the Taliban may be sometimes necessary, because Afghanistan cannot be simply sealed off from the rest of the world," Mr Omari said in an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday.
"Ordinary Afghans should not be punished for the actions of who's governing them."
However, a diplomatic relationship cannot become a legitimisation of the group's governance, which Mr Omari worries was happening worldwide.
"Engagement must not quietly become normalisation," the Afghan-Australian said.
"(There should be) no assumption that contact equals legitimacy."
Recent sanction-free trips by Taliban officials to Belgium and Germany have the scholar sounding alarm bells about European countries providing legitimacy to a terrorist organisation in government.
He has recommended strict conditions to guide Australia's diplomatic approach.
“Women’s rights and girls’ education cannot become the issue politely raised at the end of every meeting after security, trade and regional interests have already been discussed on that meeting, they must remain primarily and centrally,” he said.
"Any diplomatic concession should be connected to verifiable improvements, including on women's rights, education, counter-terrorism commitments, and inclusive government."
Mr Omari said Australia must urgently work towards protecting hundreds of Afghan nationals who were Australian collaborators, and continue humanitarian pathways for other Afghans at risk.
Australian support for independent Afghan media was also encouraged, ideally inside the country.
Mr Omari fled Afghanistan after his car was fired upon with his wife and two young children inside the vehicle.
He said nobody wanted another military intervention in a nation ravaged by war for 40 years, but the world had other ways to support Afghanistan
“Keep reporting Afghanistan. Keep talking about Afghanistan. Keep asking questions," Mr Omari said.
"Do not let silence become acceptance.
“The war ended for Australia in 2021, but our responsibility did not.”
