Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged international community to approach the new reality in Afghanistan with a new perspective, based on a realistic assessment and pragmatic approach.
Addressing the joint session of SCO and Collective Security Treaty Organization on Afghanistan, in Dushanbe today, he said our core collective interest must be to help stabilize the security situation and prevent renewed conflict and mass exodus.
Imran Khan warned that abandoning Afghanistan can take us back to an unstable situation, resulting in civil strife, negative spill over effect on neighboring countries, outflow of refugees, rise in terror incidents, drug trafficking and transnational orgnanized crimes. He said engagement is the only way forward to avoid such situation.
The Prime Minister also asked Taliban to honor their commitments and fulfill their promise of an inclusive political structure.
He, however, said at the same time that attempts to demonize the Taliban and fuel internal tensions should be rejected. He said such a myopic and unwise approach will only compound the challenges instead of resolving them.
The Prime Minister said the international community must reach out to reaffirm their support and solidarity with the Afghan people at this critical juncture.
He said sustained humanitarian assistance and economic support will save lives and underpin stability. Imran Khan said allowing Afghanistan’s frozen assets, to be used for welfare of Afghan people, will also be a step in the right direction.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan has kept its borders open to facilitate regular movement and let bilateral as well as transit trade flow.
We have dispatched several plane loads of food and medicines to help address the humanitarian needs of Afghans.
Imran Khan said Pakistan remains firmly committed to a stable, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and its neighbors.
He said the regional countries should work in tandem to assist Afghanistan on its way to peace, stability and prosperity.
Earlier, addressing the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State meeting in Dushanbe today, Prime Minister Imran Khan called upon the regional countries to pursue the approach of peaceful coexistence and resist any drift towards bloc politics.
He said the fight against terror would not be won if the threats and challenges to international peace and security were ignored.
Imran Khan said state-terrorism is the biggest threat, perpetrated against people living under foreign occupation in disputed territories.
He said in some cases, such extremist and bigoted ideologies have ascended to capture the state power in so-called democracies.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan believes that faithfully implementing UN Security Council resolutions for peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes is a necessary condition for peace, and indispensible for creating an environment of cooperation.
Source: Radio Pakistan