Biggest man-made crisis unfolding before us, says PM Imran on Afghanistan situation

ISLAMABAD: Addressing the 17th Extraordinary Session of Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Afghanistan in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said if the world did not act and help Afghanistan then it would the biggest man-made crisis that was unfolding in front of us.

Imran Khan said no country had suffered as much as Afghanistan during the last few decades. 40 years of conflicts and years of corrupt governance had marred the country, while half of the population was living below the poverty line, he said.

“After August 15, foreign aid has dried up and foreign reserves frozen. Following which banking system has also become non-functional. Any country in such a situation is going to collapse let alone Afghanistan,” he said.

He said it was a big responsibility and a religious duty on the OIC to help those in need.

PM Khan said the US must delink the Taliban government from the Afghan people as it was a question of 40 million human beings. He said it was extremely important that action was taken immediately. “Already we are late as winter in Afghanistan is extremely severe,” he maintained.

“When I met the Taliban foreign minister he categorically said that they were willing to comply with the three pre-conditions set by the US for economic aid which includes an inclusive government, women rights and not allowing terrorism from the Afghan soil.

“When we talk about human rights, we should understand that every society is different. We need to understand the Afghan culture. In every society the idea of human rights and women rights is different,” he said.

He demanded immediate action, otherwise, he said, Afghanistan was heading towards a chaos. Any government will collapse when it cannot pay salaries to its servants, doctors and nurses, he said.

“But chaos suits no one and it certainly does not suit the United States. Chaos means that the Afghan government would not have the ability to fight the threat of ISIL, which is capable of international terrorism. The only way to deal with it is a stable Afghan government,” he said.

On Islamophobia, he said unfortunately, the refugee crisis in the western countries had exacerbated the Islamophobia.

“Islamophobia started reaching a dangerous level after 9/11 when terrorism and Islam were linked. When terminologies like radical Islam came, connecting as if Islam was responsible for terrorism and radicalisation. This connection made life difficult for Muslim people living in the western countries. The man standing in street in the west cannot distinguish between a radical Muslim and others,” he said.

OIC Foreign Ministers Group Photo

Addressing inaugural session of the CFMs of the OIC conference on Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the kingdom had allocated one billion Saudi riyals for assistance of people of Afghanistan.

He admitted that the citizens in Afghanistan were going through hardship and the economic crisis could further deteriorate the situation.

“We desire for peace in Afghanistan. So we should see the issue of Afghanistan on humanitarian ground’,” he said.

The Saudi Arabian foreign minister also appreciated Pakistan for convening the conference in a short time.

The Saudi FM said that the OIC meeting expressed solidarity with the Afghans and drew the world’s attention towards the need for immediate action to put an end to the deteriorating situation.

He also urged OIC member states to play a part in providing the Afghans with the necessary support and to prevent an economic collapse in the country.

He told the gathering that Saudi Arabia had recently airlifted food supplies on the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and also condemned terrorist actions targeting minorities in Afghanistan.

Over half of Afghan population suffering from food scarcity: FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday said more than half of the Afghan population was suffering from food scarcity.

“This session is crucial for survival of Afghanistan. The conference has been held to spread awareness regarding the issues being faced by people of Afghanistan,” said Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Millions of Afghan children were at a risk of dying due to malnutrition, he said adding that it was unfortunate that hardships and sufferings of the Afghan people had not eased.

The World Food Programme had warned that Afghanistan could become the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, he said. Years of conflicts, poor governance and Afghanistan’s excessive dependence on foreign aid had created this situation, he added. He said we should focus on enhancing food security of Afghanistan.

“The OIC has consistently supported the right of self-determination of Palestinians and Kashmiris suffering from illegal occupation. Today is no different. The only message the session sends is our unity to address the Afghan crisis,” he said

FM Qureshi said the OIC and Islamic Ummah had come as a whole to push the international community to assist Afghanistan financially. Cash was needed to revive the economy, pay salaries and reboot the economic system, he maintained. He said there was no money to pay for essential supplies. Economic collapse in Afghanistan would be horrendous, he said.

“No other country has to gain more from peace in Afghanistan than Pakistan. This session must assure visible change and signal the people of Afghanistan that we are united on stabilising economy of Afghanistan. Afghan situation cannot be overlooked. If the situation of Afghanistan deteriorates any further then peace of the region and the world would be at stake,” he said.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi proposed a six point framework to support the Afghan people.

He said we should create a vehicle within the OIC to channel immediate and sustained humanitarian and financial support to the Afghan people including the pledges from the OIC and other donors.

He said we should agree to increase investment for the Afghan people bilaterally or through the OIC in areas such as education, health, technical and vocational skills to the Afghan youth.

A group of experts comprising the OIC, the UN and international financial institutions be established to consider ways and means to facilitate Afghan access to legitimate banking system and ease liquidity challenge of Afghan people.

We should focus on enhancing food security of the Afghan people and the Islamic organization of food security must lead this effort.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said we should engage with the Afghan authorities to help meet the expectations of the international community regarding political and social inclusivity, respect for human rights especially of women and girls and combating terrorism.

Alluding to the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and threat of economic meltdown there, the Foreign Minister said this is a moment to extend a collective helping hand and not withhold support.

OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha said the OIC has always supported the Afghan people and the role of the OIC member countries in delivering humanitarian assistance is more necessary than ever before because of the growing challenges faced by the Afghan people. He called on the member countries to deliver humanitarian assistance through the OIC mission in Kabul.

The OIC Secretary General also called upon the international community to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorism.

The OIC Secretary General was appreciative of Pakistan for hosting this important meeting saying this reaffirms its total commitment to the issues faced by our wider Muslim community.

In his remarks, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that solidarity with the Afghan people is our moral obligation and religious duty. He said the OIC should play a leading role in mobilising international support for the Afghan people.

Pakistan hosts OIC Council of Foreign Ministers session on Afghanistan

Pakistan hosted 17th Extraordinary Session of Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Afghanistan in Islamabad on Sunday.

The conference devised a comprehensive strategy to deal with the dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The session was convened at the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as OIC summit chair.

🇵🇰 is ready to host the 17th Extraordinary Session of the @OIC_OCI CFM in #Islamabad.

🎬 ⬇️ #OICinPakistan #OIC4Afg pic.twitter.com/7cteqGnmJT

— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) December 18, 2021

Prime Minister Imran Khan deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session.

Around 70 delegations from OIC member states, non-members and international organisations attended the moot. It included around 20 delegations led at the ministerial and 10 at the deputy-minister/minister of state level.

Read more: OIC conference on Afghanistan holds paramount importance: FM Qureshi

“The 17th Extraordinary Session reflects Pakistan’s abiding commitment and consistent efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan and the continued well-being of the Afghan people,” the Foreign Office said in a statement earlier.

It further stated that the session would provide an opportunity to consider practical and concrete steps to help address the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people.

After the Taliban’s return to power, billions of dollars in aid and assets were frozen by the international community, and the nation of 38 million now faces a bitter winter.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned that Afghanistan is on the brink of the world’s worst humanitarian emergency with a combined food, fuel and cash crisis.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are founding members of the OIC. Over the years, Pakistan and the OIC have extended consistent support to the people of Afghanistan.