Says Pakistan always advocated consistent engagement
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has stated that stability in Afghanistan is a critical for prosperity of South Asia and the wider world. In his remarks at a one day ISSI (CAMEA)-FES seminar in Islamabad on Monday, he said Afghanistan must not be seen through a regional prism, but as a shared and collective responsibility.
The Minister said instability in Afghanistan will have negative consequences for the entire world. He said failure is not an option. If the world community fails Afghanistan yet again, it will result in a fresh influx of refugees, enhanced space for terrorism and a rise in drug trafficking. The Foreign Minister said if the wheels of the economy remain jammed, the gains can be reversed. We must not allow that to happen again.
He said Pakistan has always advocated consistent engagement with Afghanistan. At this critical juncture, the importance of delinking humanitarian assistance from political considerations cannot be overstated. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan believes that continued engagement between the interim Afghan government and the international community would help ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan witnessed a watershed event on 15 August 2021. Since then, the interim Afghan Government has remained embattled with humanitarian and economic crisis, as well as a liquidity crunch, exacerbated by lack of a functional banking system.
At the same time, the positive aspects are internal stability, no civil war, opening of girls’ schools, and interim government’s commitment to address terrorism. Afghanistan currently stands at a critical crossroads.
