Pakistan proposes creating mechanism for humanitarian support for Afghanistan

• FM Qureshi addresses 17th extraordinary session of OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers being hosted by Pakistan.
• Proposes creating a vehicle within OIC countries to provide sustainable humanitarian and financial support to Afghanistan.
• Calls for increasing investment, bilaterally or through OIC platform, in education and skills training of Afghan people.

Pakistan on Sunday proposed a six-point strategy to address the humanitarian crisis and food security problems and for an economic revival in Afghanistan, besides the institutional capacity building to counter-terrorism.

The 17th extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers started with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's address today (Sunday). 

The FM, also chair of the session, in his address, proposed to create a vehicle within the OIC countries for sustainable humanitarian and financial support to Afghanistan.

The foreign minister called for increasing investment, bilaterally or through the OIC platform, in the education and skills training of the Afghan people.

He proposed the establishment of an experts’ group of OIC and UN to consider ways and means to ensure the revival of the legitimate banking service in the war-torn country.

Convened at the insistence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the OIC Summit Chair, the session is being attended by around 20 foreign ministers, 10 deputy foreign ministers and 70 delegates. Prime Minister Imran Khan will deliver the keynote address at the special moot taking place at Parliament House today (Sunday).

He commended Saudi Arabia for convening the session as OIC chair and trusting Pakistan to host the extraordinary moot.

Besides other delegates, he also welcomed the Secretary-General OIC for rapid mobilization and arrangements for the session on short notice.

He said the gathering of OIC leaders at short notice also reaffirmed their commitment to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Calling it a matter of survival, the foreign minister said over half of the Afghan population faced food shortage, which made the population of two-thirds UN member states.

He said Pakistan had hosted an OIC session on Afghanistan on 1980 and after 41 years, Pakistan was obliged to host another session on the humanitarian crisis in same country as the sufferings of the Afghan people had not ended.

Qureshi referred to the World Food Program, which warned that Afghanistan could face the largest humanitarian crisis in the world and the United Nations also warned of a similar situation.

He said it was a moment to stand up and that the Afghan people must be supported without any condition.