Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi provided an opinion column to CNN, published yesterday, urging the world’s nations “to rise above the jostling of narratives to work for peace and stability in Afghanistan…. More than four decades of conflict have exacted a heavy toll from Afghans. They are physically and emotionally scarred. They need an end to their misery,” he urged.
“The international community needs to realize that the new order of things in Afghanistan is not something that can be wished away or rendered insignificant through polemics and grandstanding. Genuine empathy and a humanistic approach are needed,” Qureshi wrote. He specifically targeted the current policy of waging financial warfare against this wounded nation:
“In regard to international financial support, we must remain cognizant of the humanitarian consequences of abandoning Afghanistan. We are confident that even a small fraction of what was spent in Afghanistan in the last two decades would help the country get back on its feet. This would redound to the benefit of regional peace and stability, help combat narcotics trafficking, and prevent a serious refugee crisis which would bode ill, not only for the neighboring countries of Afghanistan but also for the West. The world must not abandon the Afghan people at this crucial juncture.
“Let us work together to promote our shared interests and accomplish something for which future generations will laud us,” he concluded.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/20/opinions/pakistani-fm-qureshi-afghanistan-op-ed/index.html
