The international community needs to learn lessons from the past mistakes while dealing with the delicate state of emergency of Afghanistan and the wisest course of action ought to be is to refrain from repeating the mistake of abandoning the country devastated by decades of war. Earlier, the world left Afghanistan by itself after the withdrawal of the former Soviet Union from this country, and the ensuing situation saw an endless civil war.
The tragedy that ensued in the early 90s was followed by the invasion of the US-led coalition forces from more than 40 countries later in the early 2000s. Their withdrawal 20 years later, has left the country with every part of the state structure, including administrative and economic affairs, ruined. Pakistan being the next door neighbour has been watching the post-withdrawal situation vigilantly as the fallout of any eventuality in Afghanistan will affect Pakistan adversely. The Apex Committee on Afghanistan met in Islamabad on Wednesday where Prime Minister Imran Khan offered all philanthropic help and expressed solidarity with the Afghan people, saying that Pakistan will provide all possible assistance to the Afghan people. The announcement was made by a country that finds itself in the grip of all kinds of economic stresses, difficulties, debts and what not. Despite economic troubles at home, Pakistan has allocated Rs5 billion to help the Afghan people and it is facilitating international aid agencies to the Afghan people.
All eyes are on the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference scheduled in Islamabad in December. The sole agenda of the summit is to review the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan need not to expect much from the OIC as it has failed the occasions several times. Since the second coming of the Taliban in August, it is Pakistan which been doing everything possible for Afghanistan. A stable Afghanistan suits the whole world and Pakistan’s role in the stability of the region and the peace in Afghanistan cannot be denied. If Pakistan is aggressively pleading the international community the case of Afghanistan, its message should be given full attention at the international level. The world must know that a new crisis or humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan will have unlimited effects, therefore, Afghan funds in US banks must be released at the earliest. The freezing of Afghan funds has stopped salaries for employees, and caused food shortages. This is what the prime minister has told a visiting delegation of four members of the US Senate to Pakistan recently. It is to be hoped that the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting will play an effective role in efforts to end the Afghan crisis.
