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Pakistan to hold summit of OIC leaders to discuss Afghan humanitarian crisis
In addition to the members of the OIC, delegations from the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, the European Union, the World Bank and humanitarian organisations have also been invited to the conference.
Pakistan is set to host the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Sunday to discuss the Afghanistan situation and help the war-ravaged country garner humanitarian assistance as its economy remains in shambles after the pull out of the US troops and the subsequent takeover by the Taliban government. Pakistan is also aiming to soften the Taliban's image globally and pave the way for the global acceptance of their government in Kabul.
In addition to the members of the OIC, delegations from the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, the European Union, the World Bank and humanitarian organisations have also been invited to the conference. Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also arrived in Islamabad on Saturday to attend the summit.
According to local media, the summit will have various sessions focused on Afghanistan. During this, the leaders will discuss ways to mobilise support for providing adequate food, medicine, and shelter to millions of people in Afghanistan who are in dire need after the fall of Kabul in mid-August.
Taliban took over Afghanistan in a military offensive in the aftermath of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the United States and its other Nato allies. The chaotic exit led to a major humanitarian crisis for Afghanistan as it brought the country back to 1991 when the group was ousted by the US troops.
The country is now on the verge of economic collapse as the international community froze billions of dollars worth of assets abroad and stopped all assistance. Afghanistan is also facing a threat from the Islamic State, which has ramped up attacks in the country over the last few months.
It has been more than 100 days since the Taliban seized control over Afghanistan but it has not been recognised by any nation of the world yet.
On Saturday, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the message to the gathering is: "Please do not abandon Afghanistan. Please engage. We are speaking for the people of Afghanistan. We're not speaking of a particular group. We are talking about the people of Afghanistan," news agency AP reported.
