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Pakistan to host 2nd extraordinary OIC meeting on Afghanistan
Pakistan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that Islamabad will host the 2nd extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Afghanistan and that the focus will again be on the challenges facing the country.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister said at a press conference on Tuesday that the OIC meeting is scheduled to start next Tuesday and will run over two days.
He said the focus of the meeting would be on the current economic, political and humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan.
“Members of the Islamic countries will assess their commitments for Afghanistan, and will assess their decisions, also will talk about next steps,” said Qureshi.
According to Qureshi the main aim of the meeting is to forge unity, solidarity and cooperation between Islamic countries.
“The aim of the meeting, in addition to addressing the political, economic, and humanitarian challenges of Afghanistan, is to establish a bridge of relations and strengthen partnerships and cooperation between Islamic countries. Its message is solidarity and cooperation between the Islamic countries,” added Qureshi.
The first extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan was held in December last year in Islamabad and Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), attended.
According to the IEA’s deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi, all meetings that are in the interests of Afghans are welcomed. However, he said the IEA has not yet been informed about next week’s OIC meeting.
In addition to the OIC meeting, another two are reportedly planned for later this month. One will be held in China and the other in Switzerland.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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