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Imran Khan calls for urgent action in order to avoid ‘chaos’ in Afghanistan
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan warned on Sunday the situation in Afghanistan could lead to the biggest “man-made disaster” and that the country is “heading for chaos”.
Addressing delegates attending the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, Khan urged the international community to take immediate action.
“Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is heading for chaos. Any government when it cannot pay salaries to public servants, doctors and nurses is going to collapse. But chaos suits no one. It certainly does not suit the United States,” the prime minister added.
According to Pakistan’s the Tribune, Khan also said under the current circumstances the Afghan government is unable to fight terrorism, and that other countries may face a spillover impact.
Khan added that the situation in Afghanistan was due to years of corrupt government, suspension of foreign aid, freezing of foreign assets and a dysfunctional banking system, which, he said, could lead to the collapse of any state.
He said if the world failed to act timely, it will lead to the “biggest man-made disaster.”
Mechanism proposed
Pakistan also shared a six-point strategy to address Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, food security, and economic revival.
The strategy, proposed by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who chaired the meeting, also proposed creating a mechanism within the OIC countries for sustainable humanitarian and financial support to the Afghanistan government.
According to Qureshi, the gathering of OIC leaders at short notice reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Twenty foreign ministers and 10 deputy foreign ministers from across the Muslim world attended Sunday’s session. In total however, 70 delegates participated at the meeting, which was convened by Saudi Arabia and hosted by Pakistan.
Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha also delivered a speech and said: “We urge the Member States and OIC institutions to provide humanitarian assistance through the OIC Mission in Kabul.”
He also called on all Afghan parties to “put the interests of their people first, protect their lives, keep away from violence and bring lasting peace in fulfilment of their aspirations and hopes for stability, decent living and prosperity”.
Taha said the OIC calls for promoting “the role of the OIC Mission in Kabul, providing it with financial, human and logistical resources to enable it to deliver its full responsibility of coordinating humanitarian and development aid operations for the Afghan people.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West also confirmed his attendance in a tweet and said the meeting was a “timely” initiative.
West said the US is following a “clear-eyed policy” with the Islamic Emirate and that the people of Afghanistan remain the focus of the US. “While we continue clear-eyed diplomacy with the Taliban (IEA) – on human rights, terrorism, and educational access, among many other issues – the Afghan people will remain at the center of our considerations,” he said.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.
Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.
“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.
“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.
The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.
In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.
The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.
Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.
“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.
Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.
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