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Pakistan is facing difficulties in providing technical, financial and expert support to the newly formed Taliban government in Afghanistan in the absence of the regime’s international recognition, according to a media report on Wednesday.
At a meeting presided over by Pakistan's Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan, on Tuesday, key stakeholders were considering various options to support the new Afghan administration through capacity building and technical expertise under crash programmes.
The meeting was held amid reports that the war-torn Afghanistan was facing a severe food crisis.
But the major challenge was how to do that without recognition by the world of the Afghan government, the Dawn newspaper (a newspaper of record in Pakistan) reported.
The meeting was called to discuss economic cooperation with Afghanistan was attended by Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman retired Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain and other senior officials.
Informed sources told the newspaper that the meeting was told that the biggest challenge for the Afghan administration was the void created by a major exodus of technical and financial experts soon after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
This left major institutions, particularly of technical and financial nature, incapacitated to take over essential services like electricity, medical and financial facilities for smooth operations.
Ayub also emphasized the importance of bilateral economic assistance in the context of the current situation in Afghanistan.
A statement quoted the minister as telling the participants that the government was keen to support the people of Afghanistan in addressing their socio-economic challenges.
“In order to save lives and livelihood of the Afghan people, immediate technical and financial support is required on a humanitarian basis,” he said.
Imam said the reports about a severe food crisis facing over 14 million Afghan people were alarming.
“Expressing his concern over the situation, the minister stressed the need for support and solidarity of the international community for the people of Afghanistan,” the statement said.
(With PTI Inputs)
