ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and called for the world to take immediate action, saying that chaos in the neighbouring country does not suit anyone.
The premier expressed the views while delivering the keynote address at the 17th extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss the Afghan situation at the Parliament House in Islamabad.
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PM Imran said no other country had suffered as much as Afghanistan, adding that even before the Taliban seized control, half of the population was below the poverty line. He said that 75 per cent of the country’s budget was also supported by foreign aid.
“Afghanistan is heading for chaos. Any government, when it cannot pay salaries to public servants, doctors and nurses, any government is going to collapse. But chaos suits no one. It certainly does not suit the United States,” the prime minister said in his keynote address.
The prime minister pointed out that the OIC also had a “religious duty” to help the Afghans. “If the world doesn’t act, this will be the biggest man-made crisis which is unfolding in front of us,” he added.
The premier said owing to a dearth of resources, if the Afghan government remained unable to counter terrorism, other countries may also face a spillover impact it. Mentioning the presence of ISIL in Afghanistan, and terror attacks inside Pakistan, PM Khan said the only way to handle the terror outfit was a stable Afghanistan.
The prime minister said Pakistan had also the same worry having faced the biggest collateral damage of Afghan war with the loss of 80,000 people and the shattered economy, and displacement of 3.5 million people.
Specifically addressing the United States, the premier said that Washington must “delink” the Taliban government from the 40 million Afghan citizens. “They have been in conflict with the Taliban for 20 years but this concerns the people of Afghanistan,” he added.
He noted that the Taliban had to fulfill the commitments they had made to the international community, which included forming an inclusive government and ensuring women’s rights.
“However, the idea of human rights is different in every society,” he said, giving the example of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders the war-torn country.
However, he also said that Taliban would also have to understand that formation of an inclusive government, respect for human rights particularly women, and disallowing the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in other countries would pave way for international aid to Afghanistan.
Addressing the participants, the premier said he was impressed by the suggestions put forward by Islamic development banks for providing immediate assistance. “I look forward to the fact that you will come up with a road map by the end of this evening,” he said, reiterating that “chaos in Afghanistan suited no one”.
