ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has expressed concerns over the US decision of splitting the frozen Afghan assets between humanitarian aid of people in Afghanistan and victims of 9/11 attacks.
The statement from the Foreign Office comes as US President Joe Biden signed an executive order freeing up the frozen Afghan funds for humanitarian aid and compensation for 9/11 victims. The move has faced criticism from the Taliban and within the US, stating that Washington should not use the funds.
“Pakistan has seen the US decision to unfreeze the Afghan assets held by the US banks to release $3.5 billion for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and $3.5 billion for compensation to families of 9/11 victims,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement.
Pakistan had been consistently emphasising the need for the international community to quickly act to address the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan and to help revive the Afghan economy, as the two are inextricably linked, he said.
“Finding ways to unfreeze the Afghan foreign reserves urgently would help address the humanitarian and economic needs of the Afghan people,” the statement read.
It added that Pakistan’s stance on frozen Afghan assets remains that “these are owned by the Afghan nation and these should be released.”
“The utilisation of Afghan funds should be the sovereign decision of Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said.
The statement also highlighted that humanitarian challenges being faced by the Afghan people, adding that international community should play its role to end sufferings of people in the war-torn country.
“Time is of the essence,” the statement concluded.
