Humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has become an imminent threat

Islamabad The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has become an imminent threat to the country and it is one of the most dangerous threats, said Dr Murat Aslan, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. Dr Aslan was addressing a special In-House Meeting on ‘OIC and Afghanistan’ organised here by Institute of Strategic Studies. He said that at this stage we have to think about the other avenues as well in order to see the peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan which is based on a stable economy, judiciary and political setup. There must be some type of reconstruction and transformation, he said adding that Taliban should direct an action plan to satisfy the expectation of the public and assess what is required to achieve this plan. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the OIC, said that OIC is in a unique position to provide and assist in averting the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. He observed that humanitarian assistance is a dire need but the economy of the country needs to be stabilised in order to see a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. He stressed that it is an important moment where we have to translate the words into actions. Sabah Al-Mukhtar, partner at Arab Lawyers Network, said that Arab countries have no united policy or stance in international matters. He remarked that the official line is heavily influenced by western views and policies. He said that there is a general belief that people of Afghanistan should have the right to live their lives according to their culture which cannot be changed with force. Sehar Kamran, patron in Chief, Centre for Pakistan & Gulf Studies, said that silence by international community on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is alarming. Almost 75 per cent of Afghanistan’s budget depends on external funds while Pakistan being the next door neighbour of Afghanistan has the most stakes in the region, she recalled saying any stubbornness in the behaviour of international community will only increase the suffering of the Afghan populace.