Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that economic instability in Afghanistan will have drastic impacts on neighboring countries.
During his media interaction in Islamabad on Friday, he said Pakistan and the OIC countries may contribute to the capacity building of the Afghans. He pointed out that many Afghan nationals living abroad want to help their families back home by remitting the money.
In a statement regarding the upcoming extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad, he said that Afghanistan is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis and if immediate assistance is not provided the situation can worsen.
He urged the international community to play its role for stability in Afghanistan.
Warning the world of looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan being an immediate neighbor is concerned over the situation because it has an interest in peace and stability of Afghanistan.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, to be held on Sunday, is aimed at drawing the world attention towards the plight of Afghan people. He said the OIC has been supporting the Afghan people over the years.
The Foreign Minister warned if the attention was not paid to avert the humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in Afghanistan, this will become the largest humanitarian crisis in the world and all the gains of the last twenty years will evaporate. He said the international terrorist organizations will also take advantage of this situation and increase their footprints in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Minister said there is a possibility of peace and stability in Afghanistan after forty years and if this is missed, we should be prepared for a new exodus of refugees which will not only affect Pakistan, the neighbouring countries but also the whole world including the European countries.
The Foreign Minister said that the NATO countries, European Union and US officials have all realized the situation in Afghanistan and through this session of OIC, Pakistan is trying to take OIC countries on board in this regard.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan has transported relief goods to Afghanistan. He, however, stressed that mitigating the challenges faced by the Afghan people is a shared responsibility.
Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan stands by the Afghan people, clarifying that Pakistan is neither advocate nor spokesperson for the Taliban. He said we are only speaking for thirty-eight million Afghan people.
Ends/Online
