Afghanistan Crisis | Imperative for regional, international partners to engage with Afghanistan: Pakistan

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Pakistan on Thursday said it was imperative for regional and international partners to constructively engage with Afghanistan and support its rehabilitation and humanitarian needs for peace and stability in the war-ravaged country.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad during the weekly press briefing said Pakistan is committed to work together with the international community to advance the shared objectives of peace, progress and stability in Afghanistan. At this critical juncture, there is an opportunity in the form of international community's convergence on peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, he said, adding that the world should work with Afghanistan by supporting the country's economy, reconstruction, rehabilitation and humanitarian needs.

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He said Pakistan has done intensive diplomatic outreach and engagement at the leadership level with a number of partners in the region and beyond because peace in Afghanistan is critical for its vision of regional connectivity, economic integration and development. That brings us to the larger issue of how to seize the opportunity for lasting peace – and galvanise the international community's engagement in support of an inclusive political settlement in the Afghan context, that would ensure lasting peace and stability and avert a humanitarian crisis in that country, he said.

He said Pakistan's facilitation for the evacuations from Afghanistan has been widely acknowledged by the world, as over 12,000 individuals from around 38 nationalities had been evacuated with Pakistan's assistance. With WFP (World Food Program), we are also facilitating the establishment of humanitarian air bridge'. First cargo flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also delivered essential medicines and other supplies to Afghanistan in partnership with WHO, he said.

Ahmad also condemned the terrorist attacks at the Kabul airport last week, which claimed the lives of over 170 Afghans and 13 US marines. The sad images of that attack unfortunately reminded us of the tragedy and suffering the Afghan people have been through all these years of conflict and instability in Afghanistan, he said.