Pakistan to host OIC FMs session on Afghanistan on Dec 19: FM Qureshi
Pakistan on Saturday announced to host 17th extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan situation will be held in Islamabad on 19th of this month, with core objectives of highlighting the need for urgent assistance and mobilisation of resources to avert a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in Afghanistan.
“If we don’t pay timely attention, half of Afghanistan’s population or 22.8 million people can face food shortage, and 3.2 million children may face malnutrition. This is the magnitude which we and the world should understand,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during a news conference.
He said that considering the gravity of the situation, Pakistan made an effort and moved ahead to host the international event realising that, if not addressed timely, the situation would have dire consequences for Afghanistan, its neighbours as well as the whole region.
The country could face an economic collapse if the frozen assets were not released to cope with the burgeoning needs, added the FM.
Announcing the date of the OIC FMs session on Afghanistan, Qureshi said that such an extraordinary session of OIC FMs on the Afghanistan situation would be held after 41 years with the first held in 1980.
He said that besides the OIC FMs countries, Pakistan also invited the special representatives of P-5 countries including the US, China, Russia, France and the UK.
The High Representative of the European Union on Foreign Affairs was also invited and the invitation would also be extended to the World Bank and relevant UN agencies which could assist in the whole process, added the FM.
While, with a mere objective of evolving an international consensus, Pakistan would also invite important countries like Germany, Japan, Canada and Australia.
Qureshi said that Pakistan desired to invite a high-level delegation of Afghanistan to interact with the visiting dignitaries and apprise them of the latest on-ground situation.
