Troika Plus meeting: Pakistan again calls for int'l assistance to avert economic collapse in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday calls on international community to avoid repeating mistakes of the past and pursue a positive engagement in war-ravaged country.

Islamabad held a meeting on Afghanistan with envoys from the US, China, and Russia today as officials warned its neighbor was on the brink of economic collapse.

Qureshi, in his opening remarks, said the engagement with Afghanistan must not only continue but should be enhanced for multiple reasons as nobody wishes to see a relapse into civil war, neither anybody wants an economic collapse that will spur instability.

FM @SMQureshiPTI addressed opening of #TroikaPlus meeting in #Islamabad today. FM expressed confidence that such engagements will help consolidate peace & stability and promote sustainable economic development in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/DHRjuAEJPI

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) November 11, 2021

Everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis, he added.

Qureshi said Afghanistan stands at the brink of an economic crumple, and as international funding dried up, it had become difficult to pay even salaries, let alone pursue development projects.

The common man is reeling under the effects of a severe drought, any further downward slide would severely limit the new administration’s capacity to run the government, he said while urging foreign countries to buttress the provision of humanitarian assistance on an urgent basis.

Pakistani FM also mentioned that Islamabad had already taken a number of steps to facilitate the distressed Afghanis in this hard time.

He also recalled that his recent visit to Afghanistan helped understand the new government’s expectations from the world leaders. “We believe Taliban are interested in engagement, as they seek international acceptance and support,” he said while reiterate the resolve of Pakistani PM Imran Khan to help Afghanistan on its path towards peace, progress, and prosperity.