On Sunday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held an
extraordinary session on Afghanistan at the request of Saudi Arabia. The
meeting of the OIC council of foreign ministers was held in Islamabad, Pakistan
with the participation of Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir
Abdollahian.
The session was the latest effort by Pakistan to put the
limelight on the dire situation of Afghanistan amid growing international
apathy toward the war-torn country. Since the rise of the Taliban a few months
ago, Afghanistan has turned into a pariah state with no legitimate and
internationally recognized government.
In August, the Taliban overthrew the US-backed government in
Kabul and assumed power. But it is yet to be recognized by any country. Since
then, some of Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Iran, have tried to help the
Afghan people while encouraging the Taliban into forming a broad-based
government representing all Afghan ethnoreligious groups. The Taliban has
announced a caretaker government that raised alarm bells across the globe for
excluding women and ethnic groups.
The Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi,
was in attendance at the OIC meeting but he was excluded from the family photo
of the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers given
the fact that none of the OIC member states has recognized the Taliban-led
government.
With the Taliban government continuing to be unrecognized,
the international community has faced difficulty providing humanitarian aid to
the Afghan people who are grappling with economic hardships during a frosty
winter.
Iran and some other countries have sent many planeloads of
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. But some countries are concerned about and
unwilling to directly provide aid to Kabul. This was addressed during the OIC
meeting which pledged to set up a humanitarian trust fund for Afghanistan.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi also pointed
to this issue. He said many want to make donations, but they don't want to
donate directly, they want a certain mechanism that will comfort them.
Commenting on the OIC-proposed mechanism, Qureshi said that
the mechanism has been established, and donations will be made.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also highlighted the dire
situation in Afghanistan. “Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is
heading for chaos,” he said, adding, “Any government when it can’t pay its
salaries for its public servants, hospitals, doctors, nurses, any government is
going to collapse but chaos suits no one, it certainly does not suit the United
States.”
Pakistan seems to believe that the non-recognition of the
Taliban’s government would further exacerbate the humanitarian situation in
Afghanistan. But the Taliban also failed to meet the requirements of the international
community in regard to the formation of an inclusive government.
Iran sought to help the Taliban in this regard by presenting
a four-point proposal that seems to be devised to pave the way for recognition
of the Taliban by the international community.
In his speech at the OIC meeting, Amir Abdollahian unveiled
Iran’s proposal that he said was made in support of the people of Afghanistan.
“First, Muslim states should encourage the ruling
establishment in Afghanistan and all parties to form an inclusive government.
Second, the people of Afghanistan are in dire need of urgent humanitarian
assistance. The formation of a financial fund among the Muslim states seems
necessary to realize this objective,” Amir Abdollahian said.
He added, “Third, it is also necessary to release
Afghanistan’s assets. Fourth, undoubtedly, the UN member states and its
Secretary General can play a leading role in contributing to the formation of
an inclusive government and assisting the people of Afghanistan and prevent a
new humanitarian catastrophe.”
The Iranian foreign minister also expressed hope that an
inclusive government will soon be formed in Afghanistan with the participation
of all Afghan ethnic groups so that its representative will be able to attend
the next OIC conference and Afghanistan’s seat won’t be vacant.
Amir Abdollahian reiterated Iran’s position during a meeting
with Imran Khan. He pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to
cooperate with Afghanistan's neighbors, regional countries and the UN to
facilitate the establishment of a broad-based government in Afghanistan by
Afghans themselves. Amir Abdollahian also spoke of bilateral issues between
Iran and Pakistan, especially the issue of border cooperation.
