• FO formally reacts to composition of new govt in Kabul
• Pakistan to provide humanitarian assistance to war-hit country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday urged the new Taliban government in Kabul to ensure security in the war ravaged country and work for meeting urgent humanitarian needs.

“We hope that the new political dispensation will ensure coordinated efforts for peace, security and stability in Afghanistan as well as work towards taking care of humanitarian and development needs of the Afghan people,” the Foreign Office said in a statement, which was Pakistan’s formal reaction to the caretaker government announced by the Taliban in Kabul a day earlier.

“Pakistan reaffirms its abiding commitment to a peaceful, stable, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan,” it said.

The reaction was announced after a meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s six neighbours. The meeting hosted by Pakistan was attended by China, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Pakistan’s expectations from the first meeting of its sort of the neighbours of Afghanistan, as per Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s opening remarks at the session, were formulation of a coordinated approach with regards to the challenges resulting from the Taliban takeover; enhanced engagement with the new regime; preventing a humanitarian crisis; and saving Afghan economy from collapsing.

Emphasising on the importance of these measures, Mr Qureshi said: “If a humanitarian crisis is prevented and economic stability is assured, then peace can be consolidated and a mass exodus precluded.”

The FO issued a press release on the meeting, but there was no joint statement by the participating countries — some of whom later took divergent public positions on the new Taliban government.

“The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan is operating normally. We stand ready to maintain communication with the new Afghan government and leaders,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at the daily news briefing in Beijing. China also announced on Wednesday humanitarian aid worth $31 million for Afghanistan.

Tajikistan, meanwhile, called for creation of “a government of national reconciliation” that represented all segments of Afghan society.

Iran has also been unhappy over the composition of the new government as well as the fall of Panjshir valley.

The participating foreign ministers, however, agreed on the importance of consultations among the regional countries on the developments in Afghanistan.

Mr Qureshi had urged the participants to lay a strong foundation for a robust regional engagement on the situation in Afghanistan.

A Pakistani diplomat said that the ministers attending the meeting agreed to work together on issues of neighbours’ interests and concerns. He said there was also an agreement on making foreign ministers’ meeting a permanent and effective forum.

The next meeting will be hosted by Iran, the diplomat said.

Pakistan, meanwhile, announced humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.

Three C-130 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force would deliver food and medicines to Afghanistan. Further supplies, the FO said, would be sent through land routes.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2021