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ISLAMABAD: The stage of recognizing the Afghan Taliban government “has not yet arrived,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said ahead of a special session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation hosted by Islamabad as the Afghanistan faces an imminent economic crisis and humanitarian catastrophe.

Pakistani government statement, which will host the 17th extraordinary session of the OIC Foreign Ministers Council on Sunday, will deal a heavy blow to the Afghan Taliban, who have argued for months that failure to recognize their government would prolong the financial crisis and humanitarian, which could eventually turn into a global problem.
The new Taliban administration in Kabul has been sanctioned by the international community since the insurgent seizure of power in mid-August, which saw the abrupt end of financial aid from the United States and other donors including Afghanistan became addicted during 20 years of war. More than $ 9 billion in hard currency holdings in the country were also frozen after the Taliban took control.
But the world is waiting before extending any formal recognition to Kabul’s new rulers, fearing that the Taliban could impose a regime as harsh as when they were in power 20 years ago – despite their assurances to the contrary.

“This step has not yet arrived. I don’t think there is an international appetite for recognition at this point, ”Qureshi told Arab News in an exclusive interview on Friday. “The international community has several expectations.
These include an inclusive government in Afghanistan and assurances of human rights, especially for minorities, women and girls, whose role the Taliban had been severely limited when they ruled the country in 1996. until they were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001.
Qureshi said he told Taliban leaders that the international community expected them to answer four questions: “They want you to have an inclusive political landscape. They want you to respect human rights, especially the rights of women. They want you not to give space to international terrorist organizations, like Al Qaeda and Daesh. And they want a safe passage for people who want to leave.
Speaking about Sunday’s OIC summit, Quereshi said he was “happy to facilitate” a meeting between the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and the United States Special Representative for Afghanistan , Tom West, both present at the meeting.
In addition to the foreign ministers of Islamic countries, the delegations of the EU and the P5 + 1 group of the UN Security Council, including the United States,
Great Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany are also invited.
“I think this (summit) can provide an opportunity for the international community, through the conference of OIC foreign ministers, to listen to what they (the Afghan Taliban) have to say,” said Qureshi. “What I expect is to draw the attention of the international community through the OIC platform to the whole conditions in Afghanistan. There is a looming international crisis brewing. “
The financial crisis in Afghanistan, along with the fall of the currency and soaring prices, has forced Afghans to sell their household goods to raise funds for food and other basic necessities.
The UN warns that nearly 23 million people, or about 55% of the population, face extreme levels of hunger, 9 million of whom are at risk of starvation as winter sets in in this impoverished and landlocked country .
Qureshi said that economic stability and peace in Afghanistan was not only a national or regional issue, but one that would also pose challenges for Western countries if not resolved. Topping the list of concerns is a massive exodus of economic migrants.
“If things turn out badly, I see a new influx of refugees. And most of these refugees will be economic migrants, ”said the Minister of Foreign Affairs. “These economic migrants would not want to stay in Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan or Turkmenistan. They will travel to Europe. “Europe must be careful about this,” he added, “and the best you can do is to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan. “