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.