Provide financial assistance to Afghans, PM urges world
There is an immediate need of unfreezing the assets of Afghanistan and the international community should now help them to deal with the humanitarian and economic problems, says Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again stressed the need for providing financial aid to Afghanistan in a meeting with members of Troika Plus, hoping that the international community would understand the gravity of the situation in the neighbouring country.
Speaking during the meeting which was attended by members of Troika Plus belonging from China, Russia, United States and Pakistan, the prime minister said that they had always stressed a political setlement of the Afghanistan issue.
“The international community should now help Afghanistan to deal with the humanitarian and economic woes of the country,” he said while lauding the members for making the Troika Plus meeting a success.
Imran said peace and stability in Afghanistan are important for the prosperity of the region. “There is no military solution in Afghanistan and Pakistan has always supported a comprehensive political setlement,” he said.
The prime minister further said that there is an immediate need of unfreezing the assets of Afghanistan and other measures to help the country. Earlier on Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged the international community to engage with the Afghanistan interim government to avert the humanitarian crisis.
Addressing a Troika Plus meeting in Islamabad, Qureshi said, “nobody wishes to see a relapse into civil war; no one wants an economic collapse that will spur instability; everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and; we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis.”
National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said that Afghan women and children were in dire need of assistance and the world community must come up with a plan to avert any humanitarian crisis in the landlocked country.
He stated this while talking to a five-member US delegation led by Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West. During the meeting, both the sides discussed the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, said a press release.
Speaking on the occasion, Yusuf suggested that world needed to devise a system through which aid could reach Afghans before spike in winter season.
“Taliban need to be included in constructive dialogue because the political vacuum and instability will prove to be beneficial for terrorist organisations,” Yusuf said.
However, the two sides expressed their determination to strengthen co-operation and co-ordination in all fields.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement and wish for long term and multi-domain enduring relationship with the United States.
According to a statement issued by the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR), West called on him in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Bajwa reiterated the need for global convergence on Afghanistan for avoiding looming humanitarian crisis and co-ordinated efforts for economic uplit of the Afghan people.
The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation, special efforts for border management, role in regional stability and pledged to play his part for further improvement in diplomatic co-operation with Pakistan at all levels. During the meeting, maters of mutual interest, current security situation in Afghanistan and bilateral co-operation in various fields were discussed.
In his weekly media briefing on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Itikhar said Pakistan is working closely with the regional countries as well as members of the international community for achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He said we have been calling on the international community to stay engaged with all relevant parties and to respond to the current situation in a careful and a calibrated manner.
The spokesperson said during talks with Afghan delegation, we expressed our commitment to peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, India hosted senior security officials from Russia, Iran and five Central Asian countries to discuss the ramifications of the Taliban takeover.