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OIC chief says coordinated, strategic approach needed for Afghanistan
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha said on Tuesday there was a pressing need for a “well-coordinated and strategically integrated approach to the wide range of challenges facing Afghanistan and its people”.
In a statement to delegates at the Tashkent International Conference on Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development, which was read out by IOC special envoy to Afghanistan Tarig Ali Bakhiet, Taha said such an approach would only be feasible though pursuing sustained and constructive engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Taha also called on multilateral aid, development, and humanitarian organizations to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan’s vulnerable communities.
He encouraged OIC Member States, world countries, and international as well as regional organizations to consider making contributions to the OIC Trust Fund for Afghanistan.
“The larger the support to the Trust Fund, the wider the scope of assistance projects will be, and subsequently greater segments of Afghan society would benefit from such assistance programs,” he said.
Taha indicated that the ultimate objective lies in promoting the realization and enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms by all Afghan citizens in a secure, stable and economically thriving environment.
Tomas Niklasson, the Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan, meanwhile issued a short statement after Tuesday’s meeting and said he “underlined the lack of a recognised Afghan government and the need for inclusive governance where all Afghan women and men have a say and where different political factions and ethnic and sectarian groups are represented.”
Special Envoy on Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Yue Xiaoyong also addressed the meeting and noted that the situation in Afghanistan directly affects security and stability around the world.
Yue stressed that to date, 72 percent of the population of Afghanistan lives below the poverty line, while the unemployment rate is 40 percent.
“China is doing everything possible to improve the situation in Afghanistan,” he said.
“For example, China provided 15 million yuan to mitigate the effects of the recent earthquake. Moreover, we continue importing agricultural products from Afghanistan.”
Yue urged the global community to continue building multilateral coordination and cooperation regarding the situation in Afghanistan.
A group of religious scholars from Afghanistan and Pakistan have called on authorities in both countries to extend the pause in hostilities, initially announced for Eid ul-Fitr, until Eid ul-Adha.
The appeal comes after Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Information Minister, announced a temporary ceasefire from March 18–19 midnight until March 23–24 midnight.
In a joint statement signed by 11 Pakistani clerics and as many Afghan clerics, the scholars emphasized that their initiative aims to promote a sustainable and dignified resolution to tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, Dawn newspaper reported.
The clerics urged both Pakistani authorities and the Afghan side to extend the ceasefire to allow pilgrims to perform Hajj in a peaceful environment. They added that this “peace movement” goes beyond the ceasefire appeal and includes broader diplomatic and social efforts to resolve longstanding issues between the two countries.
The scholars expressed hope that their efforts would lead to a mutually acceptable solution and help lay the foundation for lasting stability and regional harmony.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
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