Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday (Sept. 17) urged the international community to stand by the Afghan people as currently there is a rare opportunity to end the 40-year conflict in Afghanistan.
Addressing the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Heads of State Summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Khan said this moment should not be squandered.
“The sudden change of the previous government which surprised everyone, the takeover by the Taliban, and the full withdrawal of foreign forces, have established a new reality in Afghanistan,” the Pakistani premier said in his address aired on the state-run Pakistan Television.
“That all this happened without bloodshed, without civil war, and without mass exodus of refugees should be a matter of relief.”
“Equally urgent priorities are to prevent a humanitarian crisis and an economic meltdown. We must remember that the previous government depended heavily on foreign aid and its removal could lead to economic collapse,” Khan stressed.
He urged the SCO member states and the world community to stand by the Afghan people and that it would be unwise at this critical juncture to spread negativity, or indulge in mischievous propaganda, “as some spoilers have sought to do.”
“This will only serve to undermine the prospects for peace, to the detriment of the Afghan people,” Khan warned.
He also commended the UN secretary-general and the UN agencies for their efforts for leading from the front in mobilizing international support for the urgently needed humanitarian assistance.
On Monday, donors at a UN-led conference in Geneva pledged over $1 billion for humanitarian assistance to help the Afghan people.
Khan also called on the Taliban to fulfill their pledges made for an inclusive political structure where all ethnic groups are represented. (Anadolu) – bny
