FM calls for rebooting Afghan banking system

Qureshi urges institutional mechanism to provide direct aid to people

ISLAMABAD:

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on Friday for the reboot of the banking system of Afghanistan, claiming that it would be the first big step towards the economic stability of the war-battered country.

Talking to media in Islamabad, Qureshi said that Pakistan and other member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) might contribute to the capacity building of the Afghans, stressing that peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of the whole world. Qureshi urged the international community to reach out to the Afghan people. He said that ordinary Afghans were suffering immensely despite no fault of their own. He highlighted that many Afghan nationals living abroad wanted to help their families by remitting money.

The foreign minister said that Pakistan, being an immediate neighbour, was concerned over the ongoing situation in Afghanistan because it had an interest in the peace and stability of the war-torn country.
If attention was not paid to avert the humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in Afghanistan, he warned, it could turn out to be the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, cancelling the gains of the last 20 years. “International terrorist organisations will also take advantage of this situation.”

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Speaking about the upcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC on Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan was helping Afghanistan on humanitarian grounds. He urged the international community to consider bringing improvement to the situation in Afghanistan. “It would be a wonderful event,” Qureshi said, adding that 90 foreign delegates had reached Islamabad for the session. He pointed out that the arrival of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) President Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser would open doors for humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.

Responding to a question, the minister said that the US Special Representative on Afghanistan would also attend the OIC session, which would provide an opportunity to them to assess the Afghan situation. He added that the acting Afghan Foreign Minister would also be in attendance at the upcoming meeting.
Qureshi promised that Pakistan would continue to play its positive role in helping the Afghan people. “There was a need to put in place an institutional mechanism for providing direct and timely assistance to the people of war-torn country,” he added.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)