Pakistani Prime Minister Calls for International Support for Taliban-led Afghan Government

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has called on the international community to support the Taliban-led* government of Afghanistan to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country.

"Right now the whole international community should think what is the way ahead. There are two paths that we can take. If we neglect Afghanistan right now, according to the UN, half the people of Afghanistan are already vulnerable, and by next year almost 90% of the people in Afghanistan will go below the poverty line. There is a huge humanitarian crisis looming ahead. And this will have serious repercussions not just for the neighbours of Afghanistan but everywhere", Khan said late on Friday addressing the UN General Assembly, as quoted by the newspaper The Nation.

From the prime minister's point of view, further destabilisation of Afghanistan would turn the country into a safe haven for terrorists.

"Therefore, there is only one way to go. We must strengthen and stabilise the current government, for the sake of the people of Afghanistan", the prime minister concluded, adding that assistance must be provided as soon as possible.

Last month, the Taliban entered Kabul and announced the end of the war in Afghanistan. The last province to resist the group, Panjshir, surrendered on 6 September. The Taliban then formed an interim government with Mohammad Hasan Akhund at the top. The latter served as foreign minister during the first Taliban rule.

*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries.