Pakistan
Assistance to Afghanistan must be independent of political conditions, Pak-Qatar FMs agree
Islamabad: Pakistan and Qatar agreed on Thursday that following the takeover of Taliban humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan must be free of political conditions and of the political process in the country.
The resolve came at a press conference addressed jointly by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Islamabad.
Qureshi said Pakistan, being a neighbouring country, would help Afghanistan in every way possible.
"Both countries will work together to rebuild Afghanistan's infrastructure. We will not allow enemies of peace to prevail in Afghanistan," he said.
The foreign minister said Pakistan would first work to provide food and medical aid to Afghanistan, underlining the need of the hour to save lives in the country.
Qureshi warned the international community to beware of elements seeking to disrupt the peace in Afghanistan. "We will not let the spoilers of peace achieve their objectives," he said.
He called upon the international community to provide Afghanistan access to its reserves abroad which were frozen after the Taliban came into power.
"The assets of Afghanistan should be unfrozen immediately for the Afghan people," he urged.
About Pakistan's efforts for humanitarian assistance, he said Islamabad had started sending medical and food aid via land and air routes to Afghanistan. "If the international community does not support Afghanistan financially, the situation will not improve," he warned.
FM Qureshi said the international community would have to help Afghanistan to avoid a possible humanitarian catastrophe, adding Afghanistan had internal and external threats seeking to disrupt its peace.
He acknowledged that Qatar had played an important role in the Afghan peace process and said that both countries would strive for a stable Afghanistan.
Talking about his meeting with the Qatar foreign minister before the press conference, Qureshi said he had spoken about border and regional security matters with him.
"Pakistan and Qatar consider each other as partners in Afghanistan's development."
"We also requested that Pakistanis going to Qatar be allowed to quarantine at their residence," the foreign minister said.
FM Qureshi said that the change in Afghanistan is a reality, adding that the evolving situation in the war-torn county will have profound effects not only on our regions, but also on the entire world.
Talking about Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the foreign minister said that no one could predict the rapid change in the country and all previous predictions were proved wrong.
“Urgent provision of humanitarian assistance, with UN and its various agencies playing a lead role, would reinforce the process of confidence-building,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Qatari foreign minister said Islamabad was Doha's strategic partner, and both countries shared brotherly ties.
"Pakistan played a leader's role in the current situation," he said, talking about Pakistan's active role in the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
He agreed that humanitarian assistance should be independent of the political process in Afghanistan.
Mr Thani lauded Pakistan for playing an important role in Qatar's development. "Afghanistan's neighbouring countries have the responsibility to ensure peace prevailed in Kabul," he added.