S Rahman
As Pakistan is enjoying time-tested fraternal ties with the people of Afghanistan for decades, Imran Khan government has taken twoexceptionally fruitful steps like facilitation of Saudi-led OIC Foreign Ministers’ extraordinary meeting in Islamabad and establishment of AICC which have put the Afghanistan relief operations on a fast track.
As regards the Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC),headed by National Security Advisor, Dr Moeed Yusuf, it has taken practical steps for providing humanitarian assistance to the people of
Afghanistan in many crucial areas along with an allocation of a worthwhile, initial fund of Rs 5 billion under the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan. AICC is supposed to undertake the task of policy formulation with greater focus on follow-up and implementation.
Even OIC Foreign Ministers’ Councils’ Extraordinary meeting has moved fast in the direction of mustering substantial support for Afghans whose vast majority falls in the hard-hit, poverty-stricken category especially in the wake of two decades of war whose negative fallout continues to wreak havoc on the lives of ordinary Afghans. To make matters worse, a big chunk of Afghanistan’s funds, to the tune of US Dollars 9 billion, have been frozen abroad and appeals to the United States for its release, have fallen on deaf ears.
Some keen observers of events liken the spirit behind the 2021 OIC Ministers’ conference to the one witnessed during the Islamic Summit held in Nineteen Seventies in Lahore that symbolized greater Muslim unity of a global scale, as envisioned by the charismatic leaders of the Muslim world of those times, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shah Faisal playing the lead role in uniting the Muslim leaders and nations on one platform to strengthen the fraternity against the machinations and the concomitant dominance of the biased, non-Muslim powers of the West.
As is quite a well known fact, the driving spirit behind this extraordinary session has been the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, Pakistan seized the opportunity well in time to make it a success with its contribution, by hosting the meeting. The sole objective, obviously is to work out solutions to Afghanistan’s ever-worsening humanitarian crises.
According to some estimates recently released by the United Nations, 60% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people face “crisis levels of hunger” and that situation is aggravating with every passing day.
World Food Programme (WFP) has also issued a warning which paints a abysmal picture of 3.2 million Afghan children who are at the risk of acute malnutrition. Displacement and dislocation are other issues facing the Afghan people as, according to UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees), 665,000 people have been newly displaced within Afghanistan between January and September 2021 – in addition to the 2.9 million people already internally displaced in that country.
As for the setting up of AICC, Prime Minister Imran Khan has received wide appreciation in Pakistan and in several diplomatic circles of the world for putting this Cell on a fast forward track.
Obviously, the driving spirit behind this exercise is the humanitarian concept of Islam that is being spearheaded by the PM in Pakistan and propounded by him, time and again, in foreign capitals and fora.
The most encouraging dimension of AICC is that it has been equipped with a sustainable system of coordination and monitoring. The Cell also has a diverse composition drawing representation from various government departments and organizations like, for instance, Customs, National Logistics Cell (NLC), Civil Aviation, State Bank and Frontier Corps and the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Commerce all of which have been given the assignment of ensuring unhindered movement of people to and from Afghanistan as well as regular trade across the borders.
The emphasis is on taking quick, practical steps some of which have already been taken. Take, for example, the delivery of the first consignment of 1800 metric tonnes of wheat, as humanitarian assistance. This consignment, which is a part of the package of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat plus further in-kind assistance, has reached Afghanistan. Additionally, the delivery of winter shelters and emergency medical supplies to our Afghan brethren, has also started.
And though many would like to describe this 5-billion-rupee relief package a modest one, it is, by all practical and humanitarian standards, a good start which is going to augur well for the people of Afghanistan.
The assistance package also includes eatables, life-saving medicines, winter supplies and shelter besides assistance in the fields of education, training and more and more areas of health.
AICC, under the PM’s instructions, has also chalked out a comprehensive plan revolving around some vital initiatives that focus, inter alia, on visa facilitation for INGOs and foreign investors interested in carrying out relief work in Afghanistan. And regular supply of wheat remains a priority. More attention is being given to the refurbishment of hospitals and free Covid-19 vaccination on borders.
As regards the refurbishment of hospitals inside Afghanistan, AICC has sent teams of engineers and technicians to Afghanistan for speedy completion of three new hospitals to provide relief to the people of the war-torn neighbouring country. Already, the construction work on three hospitals, namely the Nishtar Hospital, Jalalabad, Jinnah Hospital, Kabul and Logari Hospital, Logar, has been completed.
Moreover, the installation and commissioning of medical equipment worth Rs 2 billion is under way. In this area, AICC is also helping Afghan citizens to avail Universal Health Coverage.
In the area of free Covid-19 vaccination on borders, one hundred thousand plus (100,000 +) people travelling from across Afghan borders (Torkham and Chaman borders) have been administered COVID-19 vaccine jabs during the last two-and-a-half months. Under the overall supervision of AICC, the Ministry of National Health Services has made it sure that, in all, five hundred thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccine, are provided till the foreseeable future, for vaccination at the Pak-Afghan border points. More plans are also on the anvil to expand these relief operations under the banner of AICC, as per the latest instructions from PM Imran Khan who is reported to have directed the officials concerned to work on a plan to enhance the financial allocation for relief assistance.
