Pakistan to host OIC FMs session on Afghanistan on Dec 19: FM Qureshi

LAHORE: Pakistan on Saturday announced to host 17th extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan situation will be held in Islamabad on 19th of this month, with core objectives of highlighting the need for urgent assistance and mobilisation of resources to avert a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in Afghanistan.

Read more: Pakistan offers to host OIC summit on Afghanistan in December

“If we don’t pay timely attention, half of Afghanistan’s population or 22.8 million people can face food shortage, and 3.2 million children may face malnutrition. This is the magnitude which we and the world should understand,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during a news conference.

In view of the serious humanitarian situation in #Afghanistan, #Pakistan will host the Extraordinary Session of @OIC_OCI Council of Foreign Ministers on #Afghanistan on 19 Dec, in support of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s convening of the meeting as #OIC Summit Chair. #OICinPakistan

Advertisement

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) December 4, 2021

He said that considering the gravity of the situation, Pakistan made an effort and moved ahead to host the international event realising that, if not addressed timely, the situation would have dire consequences for Afghanistan, its neighbours as well as the whole region.

The country could face an economic collapse if the frozen assets were not released to cope with the burgeoning needs, added the FM.

Announcing the date of the OIC FMs session on Afghanistan, Qureshi said that such an extraordinary session of OIC FMs on the Afghanistan situation would be held after 41 years with the first held in 1980.

He said that besides the OIC FMs countries, Pakistan also invited the special representatives of P-5 countries including the US, China, Russia, France and the UK.

The High Representative of the European Union on Foreign Affairs was also invited and the invitation would also be extended to the World Bank and relevant UN agencies which could assist in the whole process, added the FM.

While, with a mere objective of evolving an international consensus, Pakistan would also invite important countries like Germany, Japan, Canada and Australia.

Qureshi said that Pakistan desired to invite a high-level delegation of Afghanistan to interact with the visiting dignitaries and apprise them of the latest on-ground situation.

#Live: FM @SMQureshiPTI talking to media in Lahore https://t.co/7UGZTjfSnw

— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) December 4, 2021

According to the minister, the idea of holding the session on Afghanistan emerged during the meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in Riyadh on the sideline of the Green Summit in September.

It was discussed that as Afghanistan was the founding member of the OIC, the Muslim Ummah should also make efforts for the brotherly country to steer it out of a difficult situation.

FM said that being chair of the OIC, Saudi Arabia came onboard and Saudi FM Prince Faisal also took keen interest to evolve a consensus, and added, it was agreed that abandoning Afghanistan would be a historic blunder and the world should learn from the past instead of repeating the same mistake.

Read more: Pakistan allows transportation of Indian wheat via Afghan trucks

“If timely attention is not paid, a new crisis can emerge which would bring in instability. This instability will beget mass exodus of refugees. We are already hosting three million Afghan refugees and will be difficult to host anymore. The countries like Iran, Tajikistan, and other bordering countries are also similarly concerned,” said Qureshi.

On December 7, FM continued, he would meet EU High Representative and EU parliamentarians in Brussels to sensitise them on the Afghanistan situation.

“Following Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, the international community has been convinced that engagement with Afghanistan was in everyone’s interest as delegates had started visiting the country.”

FM said that in collaboration with China, a platform of six neighbouring countries was also formed to discuss the situation and also explore opportunities after the revival of peace in Afghanistan.