Says delay in review of sanctions on Afghanistan may undermine objectives
ISLAMABAD
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday said with members of the international community and the Taliban at the same platform, the upcoming Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad would prove a stepping stone in finding solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The foreign minister, flanked by Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain in interaction with senior journalists and anchorpersons said by hosting the event, Pakistan was playing a positive role by bridging the communication gap between the world and the Taliban.
Foreign Minister Qureshi confirmed that a Taliban delegation headed by the interim foreign minister would participate in the upcoming moot besides the Special Representatives of the United States, Russia, and China. Apart from P5 countries, the representatives of Germany, Canada, Australia and Japan have also been invited, he added. He said Pakistan wanted the Taliban to listen to the concerns of the international community relating to human rights in particular.
He said Pakistan was not the “spokesperson” of the Taliban, but only wanted to bring the stakeholders to the OIC platform to directly get across their points of view. He said the focus of Pakistan was an improvement in the lives of Afghan people who faced conflict for decades. “We are not limiting ourselves to any particular faction or group in Afghanistan,” he said. He dismissed the impression that holding of the OIC conference on Afghanistan was a step towards recognizing the government.
In his article published in Khaleej Times Mahmood Qureshi said that the sanctions and assets freeze had crippled the banking system of Afghanistan, impeding transfer of funds for humanitarian purposes. “A review and reconsideration of sanctions is essential to save lives, enable basic services and maintain a modicum of public governance. Delays may result in unintended risks of the financial system falling into unregulated money exchanges. Such a scenario may undermine our shared objectives of countering terrorism and trafficking,”.
The freeze of assets had also hampered the payment of salaries of workers in critical sectors such as public services, education and health. He said the humanitarian supplies in Afghanistan faced logistical challenges due to harsh winter and remoteness. A fragile governance structure, severe liquidity shortage and financial sanctions present a clear and present danger of an economic meltdown in Afghanistan. The resultant human suffering, while likely, can and should be avoided, he added.
“The people of Afghanistan need urgent attention. The humanitarian calamity afflicting Afghanistan is perhaps the worst in the world today. The UN system, which has decades of experience in analysing and managing humanitarian emergencies, has sounded alarm bells,” he remarked. UN Secretary-General António Gutteres has called for a “lifeline” to millions of vulnerable Afghans “who face perhaps their most perilous hour”, after decades of war and insecurity. Despite the grim prospects, this calamity is preventable.
