World urged to create conducive environment for people of Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the international community should help create a conducive environment within Afghanistan for its people so that there is no exodus of refugees from the country and the locals live in peace within their country.

Addressing a joint press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas Tuesday who was on a tour to Pakistan, Qureshi said Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees for decades without much international financial support, but it is when the world should help Afghans get settled in their own country.

Answering a query, the foreign minister said right now there is a pivotal moment in Afghanistan's history, and the "international community must remain engaged, humanitarian assistance must flow, do not let the economic crisis in Afghanistan take place, vacuum is in nobody's interest, instability is in no body's interest".

Talking about the new government formation in Afghanistan, he noted that the statements coming from the Taliban say that they will announce the government once the withdrawal has been completed.

Therefore, as the withdrawal is complete, the announcement of the new government can be expected in the next few days.

The foreign minister said the "initial statements coming from Taliban are very positive and encouraging and the international community should nudge them in the right direction."

He said Islamabad urged the international community to remain engaged with the Taliban.

"If the Taliban implement what they say, then we should engage with them. The Taliban also said that they require assistance from the international community, and if they require that, they should respect human rights and international norms and opinions," he added.

The Taliban took over the Kabul airport on Tuesday after the last batch of US troops left Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war in the Central Asian country.