The international community should continue engaging with Afghanistan, Pakistan said during the meeting of special envoys from the Troika Plus it hosted on Thursday and advised the world not to repeat the mistakes of the past--a reference to the isolationist approach of the 90s. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed that the engagement with Afghanistan is necessary to "avert economic collapse or an all-out civil war" from breaking out in Afghanistan.

"Everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis," he said in the opening remark of the two-day meeting of Troika Plus. The grouping consists of the US, Russia, China, and Pakistan. He said peace in Afghanistan was not only important for Pakistan, but for the rest of the world as well.

People in Afghanistan are reeling under the effects of a severe drought and the economic collapse caused by the Taliban takeover, making the situation dire for ordinary Afghans. 

"It is, therefore, imperative for the international community to buttress the provision of humanitarian assistance on an urgent basis," he stressed, adding that the sectors of health, education, and municipal services required urgent attention.

On the same day, Prime Minister Imran Khan also urged the international community to fulfill "its collective responsibility to avert a grave humanitarian crisis confronting [the] people of Afghanistan".

Khan assured Afghanistan interim foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttawqi, who is on a four-day official visit to Pakistan, "all possible humanitarian aid, to his country. Khan said they were sending essential food items, emergency medical supplies, and winter shelters to provide immediate relief to Afghans. 

The Troika Plus meeting in Pakistan came a day after India held the meeting of the security chief of regional countries. Pakistan and China were also invited to the meet but did not attend, citing different reasons. 

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday warned of widespread famine in Afghanistan due to the collapse of the banking sector. It also urged the US, donor countries, and other international financial institutions to  “urgently adjust” sanctions and restrictions.   

(SAM)