If Afghan govt fails to counter terrorism, other countries may face spillover, warns Imran Khan at OIC Summit

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday warned that "if the Afghan government fails to counter terrorism, other countries may face spillover."

Khan said that owing to a dearth of resources, if the Afghan government remained unable to counter terrorism, other countries may also face its spillover impact, reported Geo News.

He made these remarks during his keynote address at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being held in Islamabad.

Mentioning the presence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, the prime minister said the only way to handle the terror outfit was a stable Afghanistan. He said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was capable of carrying out international attacks, reported Geo News.

"The only way to handle the terror outfit is a stable Afghanistan," said Khan.

While Pakistan has been blamed globally for the burgeoning Afghanistan crisis and helping the Taliban, Khan put the onus on corrupt government, suspension of foreign aid, freezing of foreign assets and a dysfunctional banking system for the collapse of Afghanistan.

He also underscored the need for humanitarian aid to Kabul and said that if the world failed to act in a timely manner, Afghanistan could potentially become the "biggest man-made disaster."

Highlighting the collapsing hospitals, education sector, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the prime minister called for the world to take immediate action as Afghanistan was heading towards chaos, reported Geo News.

"Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is heading for chaos. When it cannot pay salaries to public servants, doctors and nurses, any government is going to collapse. But chaos suits no one. It certainly does not suit the United States," he added.

The premier also said that OIC has a huge responsibility as it is our religious duty too to support suffering Afghan brethren.

Khan urged the world not to link their support with the Taliban, but rather that they must think of 40 million people.

He also asked the international community to be sensitive to the cultural traditions of Afghanistan as well as adjoining areas in Pakistan, particularly considering girls' education, reported Geo News.

In veiled support to the Taliban regarding girls' education, he said that in case of violation of their traditions, the families would never send their girls to school even if incentivised.

Talking about the migration of Afghans, Khan took the case of Pakistan. He said that any chaos in Afghanistan would lead to the mass exodus of refugees which would be unaffordable for Pakistan.

Pakistan is rallying 57-member OIC Muslim countries to help Afghanistan stave off a crisis while also cajoling the neighbouring country's new Taliban rulers to soften their image abroad.

It has been more than 100 days since the Taliban seized control over Afghanistan but it has not been recognized by any nation of the world yet.

Respect for women and human rights, establishing inclusive government, not allowing Afghanistan to become a safe haven of terrorism are the preconditions for recognition set by the international community.The Taliban has so far implemented none of these but has been promising to do so.

Afghanistan is facing a looming economic meltdown and humanitarian catastrophe in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover.

( With inputs from ANI )

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