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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.
The Japanese Embassy in Afghanistan announced Thursday it will provide emergency relief to flood-hit people in northern Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by the embassy, relief will be provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
This relief includes tents, blankets and other essential items.
According to the statement, “Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance to Afghanistan to support people affected by the flood. We will always stand by the people of Afghanistan.”
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has meanwhile reported that 8,975 homes were destroyed or damaged by floods in Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Takhar provinces following heavy rains.
Russia also pledged help if needed, while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) appealed to Islamic countries and aid organizations to step in to help the flood victims.
Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov held talks with India’s external affairs minister JP Singh to discuss the situation in the country.
Kabulov met with Singh during a visit to India.
In a post on X, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “India and Russia held bilateral consultations on Afghanistan today in New Delhi.
“Amb. Zamir Kabulov, Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, and JP Singh, Joint Secretary (PAI) discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and emphasized on the need to provide development assistance for the welfare of the Afghan people,” he said.
An official at the Russian embassy said Kabulov held talks with Singh under the framework of India-Russia foreign ministerial consultations on Afghanistan.
New Delhi has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team in its embassy in the Afghan capital.
The Islamic Emirate says that due to the diplomatic efforts of the IEA, a good spirit of cooperation has been formed in the region towards Afghanistan, and the countries have understood that stable security and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of all countries.
Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, has invited political deputy prime minister Mawlavi Abdul Kabir to participate in the upcoming Trans-Himalayan Forum meeting.
The Chinese envoy said at a meeting Wednesday with Kabir that Beijing supports the Islamic Emirate in terms of attending international meetings, especially UN Security Council meetings.
Zhao also said China was committed to cooperating with the Islamic Emirate.
Kabir in turn expressed his gratitude for China’s support and cooperation across numerous sectors and said that as a responsible government, the Islamic Emirate is bound by commitments made and tries to play an active role in regional issues and the stability and development of the region.
Kabir also acknowledged China’s support of the Islamic Emirate and said Beijing’s cooperation can bring about positive changes and economic growth in the country.
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