Islamabad (UNA) - Pakistan on Sunday proposed a 6-point strategy to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, food security, and economic recovery, in addition to building the capacity of institutions to combat terrorism. This came during a speech by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the seventeenth session of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Afghanistan, which is hosted by the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, at the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the Islamic Summit. Qureshi proposed establishing a mechanism within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries to provide Afghanistan with sustainable humanitarian and financial support. Qureshi called for increased investment, bilaterally or through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation platform, in educating Afghan youth and providing them with skills. Qureshi also proposed establishing a group of experts from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations to look into ways and means of ensuring the revival of legal banking services in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister called for improving communication with Afghanistan to achieve the aspirations of the international community to achieve social and political integration in the country, in addition to ensuring respect for human rights, especially women. Qureshi said: Nearly half of the Afghan people face food shortages, referring in this regard to warnings from the World Food Program that Afghanistan may face the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Qureshi stressed that Pakistan agrees with the Secretary-General of the United Nations that humanitarian support must be provided without conditions, praising the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and other members of the international community for responding positively to his call to find ways to alleviate human suffering in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister revealed that the Afghan economy will witness a 30% contraction within a year, unless this collapse is stopped. He called for exploiting the opportunity available during this meeting to stop the decline and support Afghanistan. (I finish)
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