Pakistan again calls for int’l engagement with Afghanistan to 'avoid economic collapse’

To avert economic collapse and civil war in Afghanistan, it is crucial for the international community to "avoid repeating mistakes of the past" and pursue a positive engagement, says Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Addressing the opening session of the ninth meeting of Troika Plus, the foreign minister said engagement with Afghanistan is important as nobody wished to see a relapse into civil war and an economic collapse to spur instability.

“Everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis,” he said.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was attended by Special Representatives of China, Pakistan, Russia and the United States, and the visiting delegation of the interim government of Afghanistan led by Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

FM Qureshi said the Troika Plus meeting reflected the common desire to see a “peaceful, stable, unified, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan”.

Qureshi expressed confidence that Troika Plus’s engagement with the new Afghan government would help consolidate peace and stability, promote sustainable economic development and help constrict space for terrorist outfits operating from and within Afghanistan.

He mentioned that today, Afghanistan stands at the brink of an economic collapse and with international funding dried up, it had become difficult to pay even salaries, let alone pursue development projects.

He said the common man is reeling under the effects of a severe drought, adding that any further downward slide would severely limit the new administration’s capacity to run the government.

“It is, therefore, imperative for the international community to buttress provision of humanitarian assistance on an urgent basis,” he stressed, and added that health, education and municipal services required urgent attention.

The foreign minister said enabling Afghanistan to access its frozen funds would dovetail into the efforts to regenerate economic activities and move the Afghan economy towards stability and sustainability.

Similarly, he said, the UN and its agencies must be urged to find ways to reach out to the common Afghan and help stabilise the situation.

Qureshi said being an immediate neighbour, Pakistan had a direct stake in Afghanistan’s peace and stability

With a shared heritage and history, we consider every ethnic community of Afghanistan important in the final destiny of the country, he said.

“Located next door, we have borne the brunt of four decades of conflict and instability in the shape of refugees, drugs and terrorism,” he said. “We see the current situation as an opportunity to end the prolonged conflict”.

He mentioned that Pakistan had already taken a number of steps to facilitate the common man in Afghanistan. These include a waiver of customs duties on perishable food items to support farmers in Afghanistan, provision of humanitarian assistance, facilitating pedestrian movement, keeping the border open during COVID-19 and visa on arrival for medical cases.

He expressed gratitude to the neighbours of Afghanistan for supporting Pakistan’s call for a regional platform to discuss common concerns and opportunities. The two meetings, he said, yielded substantive and forward looking outcome documents.

He recalled that his visit to Kabul last month helped understand the new Afghan government’s expectations from the international community.

“It also provided us the opportunity to share our assessment with the Taliban leadership and highlight the international community’s expectations of them,” he said.

“We believe Taliban are interested in engagement, as they seek international acceptance and support,” he said.

Qureshi reaffirmed the resolve of Prime Minister Imran Khan to help Afghanistan on its path towards peace, progress and prosperity.

 

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Pakistan has always stood by Afghans, world must fulfil its responsibility: PM Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan has always stood by the Afghan people in their time of need and urged the international community to fulfil its collective responsibility and do the same.

The prime minister's remarks came amid a visit to Islamabad by acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who was extended an invitation to attend the Troika Plus meeting.

"We have assured [Muttaqi] and his delegation we will provide all possible humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. We are sending essential food items, emergency medical supplies and winter shelters to provide immediate relief to Afghan people," he wrote.

The premier followed by saying that free COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to all Afghans travelling across the border into Pakistan.

"Again I urge the international community to fulfil its collective responsibility to avert a grave humanitarian crisis confronting the people of Afghanistan," PM Imran Khan said.

Muttaqi attends Troika Plus meeting

Muttaqi's visit is in continuation of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s visit to Kabul last month.

The visit will be centered on bilateral relations between the two countries, with a focus on enhancing inter-alliance trade, facilitation of transit trade, cross-border movement, land and aviation links, people-to-people contacts, and regional connectivity, a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The statement further stated that Pakistan, given the prevalent situation, has been urging the international community to urgently provide humanitarian assistance and economic support on an immediate basis to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people.

“For its part, Pakistan is extending humanitarian and economic assistance to the brotherly people of Afghanistan” and remains committed to its support for a “peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan,” it read.

Pakistan extended a special invitation to the acting Afghan foreign minister to attend the Troika Plus meeting, which was held in Islamabad today.

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Pakistan has always stood by Afghans, world must fulfil its responsibility: PM Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan has always stood by the Afghan people in their time of need and urged the international community to fulfil its collective responsibility and do the same.

The prime minister's remarks came amid a visit to Islamabad by acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who was extended an invitation to attend the Troika Plus meeting.

"We have assured [Muttaqi] and his delegation we will provide all possible humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. We are sending essential food items, emergency medical supplies and winter shelters to provide immediate relief to Afghan people," he wrote.

The premier followed by saying that free COVID-19 vaccines will be administered to all Afghans travelling across the border into Pakistan.

"Again I urge the international community to fulfil its collective responsibility to avert a grave humanitarian crisis confronting the people of Afghanistan," PM Imran Khan said.

Muttaqi attends Troika Plus meeting

Muttaqi's visit is in continuation of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s visit to Kabul last month.

The visit will be centered on bilateral relations between the two countries, with a focus on enhancing inter-alliance trade, facilitation of transit trade, cross-border movement, land and aviation links, people-to-people contacts, and regional connectivity, a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The statement further stated that Pakistan, given the prevalent situation, has been urging the international community to urgently provide humanitarian assistance and economic support on an immediate basis to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people.

“For its part, Pakistan is extending humanitarian and economic assistance to the brotherly people of Afghanistan” and remains committed to its support for a “peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan,” it read.

Pakistan extended a special invitation to the acting Afghan foreign minister to attend the Troika Plus meeting, which was held in Islamabad today.

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Covid cases declining everywhere except in Europe: WHO

The World Health Organisation reported on Wednesday that coronavirus deaths rose by 10pc in Europe in the past week, making it the only world region where both Covid-19 cases and deaths are steadily increasing. It was the sixth consecutive week that the virus has risen across the continent.

In its weekly report on the pandemic, the UN health agency said there were about 3.1 million new cases globally, about a 1pc increase from the previous week. Nearly two-thirds of the coronavirus infections — 1.9 million — were in Europe, where cases rose by 7pc.

The countries with the highest numbers of new cases worldwide were the United States, Russia, Britain, Turkey and Germany. The number of weekly Covid-19 deaths fell by about 4pc worldwide and declined in every region except Europe.

Out of the 61 countries WHO includes in its European region, which includes Russia and stretches to Central Asia, 42pc reported a jump in cases of at least 10pc in the last week.

In the Americas, WHO said that new weekly cases fell by 5pc and deaths declined by 14pc, with the highest numbers reported from the United States. On Tuesday, pharmaceutical company Pfizer asked the US Food and Drug Administration to authorise booster shots of coronavirus vaccines for all adults.

WHO has pleaded with countries not to administer more boosters until at least the end of the year; about 60 countries are actively rolling them out. In Southeast Asia and Africa, Covid-19 deaths declined by about a third, despite the lack of vaccines in those regions.

WHO’s Europe director, Dr. Hans Kluge, said last week that Europe was once again back at the epicenter of the pandemic. He warned that if more actions weren’t taken to stop Covid-19, the region could see another 500,000 deaths by February.

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South Africa's last apartheid-era president, FW de Klerk, dies at home

South Africa's last apartheid-era president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk died on Thursday morning at his home in Cape Town, the FW de Klerk Foundation said in a statement.

"Former President FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer," the statement said.

He was 85 years old.

De Klerk stunned the world when he scrapped apartheid and negotiated a peaceful transfer of power to a Black-led government under Nelson Mandela.

But while he was feted globally and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the revered Mandela, de Klerk earned only scorn from many Blacks outraged by his failure to curb political violence in the turbulent years leading up to all-race elections in 1994.

And many right-wing white Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French settlers who had long ruled the country under de Klerk's National Party, viewed him as a traitor to their causes of nationalism and white supremacy.

De Klerk's metamorphosis from a servant of apartheid into its wrecking ball mirrored that of the former Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev. Both were good party men who rose to the pinnacle of power before moving to reform or dismantle the systems that had nourished them for decades.

The collapse of Gorbachev's Soviet Union and communism in Eastern Europe helped pave the way for de Klerk to launch his own bold initiatives, as it removed the spectre of the "Red Menace" that had haunted a generation of white South Africans.

"The first few months of my presidency coincided with the disintegration of communism in Eastern Europe," de Klerk wrote in his autobiography, "The Last Trek: A New Beginning".

"Within the scope of a few months, one of our main strategic concerns for decades was gone," he wrote. "A window had suddenly opened which created an opportunity for a much more adventurous approach than had been previously conceivable."

Less than three months after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, he opened the way for an end to more than four decades of apartheid with a bombshell speech to parliament on February 2, 1990, that "unbanned" the African National Congress (ANC) and announced the release of its leader after 27 years behind bars.

Fearing a leak and a backlash from right-wing whites, de Klerk had kept the momentous decision secret from all but a handful of cabinet ministers. Even his wife was in the dark until she and de Klerk were heading to parliament.

At de Klerk's 70th birthday celebrations in 2006, Mandela heaped praise on his predecessor for taking that leap into the political unknown.

"You have shown courage that few have done in similar circumstances," said Mandela, who died in December 2013 at the age of 95, less than six months before the 20th anniversary of South Africa's first all-race elections.

White doyen turned radical

A lawyer from a prominent Afrikaner political dynasty, the urbane de Klerk was cut from the cloth of white apartheid rule and was a member of the Broederbond, a secret Afrikaner society dedicated to white supremacy.

De Klerk launched his parliamentary career in 1972 as a member of the right-wing mining town of Vereeniging and was for several years minister in charge of a schooling system that spent 10 times more on white children than on Blacks.

He challenged then-finance minister Barend du Plessis in the 1989 party election of a successor to ailing apartheid hardliner PW Botha and then ousted Botha from the presidency in a cabinet coup a few months later.

Botha showed no remorse for apartheid until his death in 2006 aged 90.

De Klerk's rise was viewed as a consolidation of white rule and threatened to escalate the vicious racial conflict that already had killed more than 20,000 Blacks.

"When he became head of the National Party, he seemed to be the quintessential party man, nothing more and nothing less. Nothing in his past seemed to hint at a spirit of reform," Mandela wrote in his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom".

The negotiations on a peaceful transition to non-racial democracy that followed Mandela's release were held against the backdrop of mounting political violence and often looked as though they would be derailed, a scenario that would almost certainly have plunged the nation into a bloody race war.

Black and white analysts said de Klerk was too cautious in moving against security force right-wingers suspected of fomenting violence and of being out of touch and ill-informed about the horrific gun and spear attacks in Black communities.

But peace prevailed in what many commentators refer to as a "political miracle".

Nobel Peace Prize

In 1993 de Klerk shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela, who would win the presidency the following year in the first multi-racial elections in Africa's biggest economy.

After the vote, the National Party shared power in a "Government of National Unity" in which he served as a deputy president.

But the relationship between de Klerk, a chain-smoking whisky drinker, and the austere Mandela was often strained, and de Klerk pulled out of the government in 1996, saying the ANC no longer prized his advice or guidance.

He retired from active politics in 1997 and later apologised for the miseries of apartheid before Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"History has shown that as far as the policy of apartheid was concerned, our former leaders were deeply mistaken in the course upon which they embarked," he said.

In retirement, he headed the FW de Klerk Foundation, devoted to working for peace in multi-cultural societies.

He divorced his wife of 39 years, Marike, in 1998, and married Elita Georgiadis, the wife of a Greek shipping tycoon.

In December 2001, Marike was murdered in her luxury beachfront home in Cape Town, an incident that underscored South Africa's rampant rates of violent crime.

In an interview with Reuters in 1999, de Klerk said South Africa faced an array of threats ranging from crime to rising unemployment and discontent among potential voters.

"There is growing disillusionment among all sectors of the population in South Africa. All South Africans, all investors, all people with an interest in South Africa are deeply concerned about the crime rate. We need a breakthrough," he said.

However, 10 years later he sought to strike a more balanced tone, saying shortly after President Jacob Zuma's accession to power in 2009 that the polygamous Zulu traditionalist would "confound the prophets of doom".

He also appeared genuinely moved by Mandela's death.

"Tata, we will miss you," he said in a statement, using the affectionate South African term for grandfather by which Mandela was known.

As he walked away from Mandela's body lying in state at Pretoria's Union Buildings, where two decades earlier he handed over power, de Klerk wiped a tear from his eye.

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Pakistan or Australia? Shaniera Akram finally names her favorite team

Australian-born social worker Shaniera Akram, who is based in Pakistan, says she is supporting Pakistan in its clash against Australia today (Thursday) in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup.

A social media user recently asked the wife of Sultan of Swing and former legendary cricketer Wasim Akram which team she would support between Pakistan and Australia in the second semi-final.

My answer is I'd love PAK to win because nothing would make me happier than to see the cricket fanatic country I have grown to love go the distance. Lifting the #t20WorldCup would be a dream come true for Pakistan! But if Australia win, Ofcourse I'd be really happy too #PAKvAUS

— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) November 11, 2021

She responded with a series of posts on her Twitter account.

"My answer is I'd love PAK to win because nothing would make me happier than to see the cricket fanatic country I have grown to love go the distance," Shaniera wrote. "Lifting the #t20WorldCup would be a dream come true for Pakistan! But if Australia win, Ofcourse I'd be really happy too #PAKvAUS"

Either way though, all Shaniera says she is hoping for is "a bloody good match".

Truth is, it would incredible for Pakistan to be recognised as the best on a world platform such as the #T20WorldCup, she said.

Shaniera said she knew there are "200 odd million Pakistanis in the world who would agree, despite what country they are currently in!"

Pakistan have so far remained undefeated in the Super 12 stage of the tournament, where they beat India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia, and Scotland.

In a virtual press conference a day earlier, skipper Babar Azam said he was confident that the Men in Green will maintain their momentum and perform well against Australia in the semi-final.

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Pakistan vs Australia semi-final: Australia win toss, elect to field first against Pakistan

Australia on Thursday decided to bowl first again Pakistan in the T20 World Cup semi-final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, after skipper Aaron Finch won the toss.

Pakistan breathed a sigh of relief earlier today as cricketers Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik were been declared fit to play against Australia.

In an update, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that a medical panel reviewed their fitness and okayed their participation in the crucial encounter.

In a virtual press conference two days back, Babar Azam has said he was confident that the Men in Green will maintain the momentum and perform well against Australia in the semi-final.

Some minor flaws have been pointed out in all the matches which sometimes relate to batting and sometimes bowling, Babar said.

He said sometimes fielding lapses were also noted. "It is good that we are trying to fix these issues," he said.

 

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