Khan, Xi Call for Release of Afghan Bank Assets

 Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan who was invited to Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games 2022, met with China’s President Xi Jinping and discussed a range of issues, including Afghanistan.

In a joint statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China on Sunday, the two sides reiterated that a peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of the region. “On Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that a peaceful, stable, united, safe, and secure Afghanistan is fundamental for prosperity and progress in the region,” the statement reads.

Khan and Xi also discussed the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and called on the international community to support the people of Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance as well as releasing Afghanistan’s central bank assets frozen abroad, mainly in the United States.

“The two sides underscored the need to expedite humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and its people to avert the looming crisis and called upon the international community to provide continued and enhanced assistance and support to Afghanistan including through unfreezing of Afghanistan’s financial assets,” the statement reads.

According to the statement, Pakistan and China are ready to discuss with Afghanistan the extension of a China Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.

Following the collapse of the former Afghan government, over $9 billion in assets of Afghanistan’s central bank were frozen in Europe and the United States.

Afghanistan is now facing a humanitarian crisis due to economic problems.

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KABUL (Pajhwok): A former head of the British military says Western countries need to acknowledge losing the war in Afghanistan and recognise the Taliban government.

Gen. Lord David Richards said in an interview on Monday that the West nust work with the new Afghan rulers to prevent mass starvation in the war-devastated country.

He asked governments to show magnanimity in defeat and compassion for the wellbeing of 40 million people of Afghanistan — currently in the grip of a grave humanitarian crisis.

Gen. Richards told the BBC there were people within the Taliban government that the United Kingdom and other countries could work with.

“I think the West is going to end up recognising the Taliban government. If that’s the case, then we’d better get on with it sooner rather than later,” he added.

The ex-chief of the defence staff commented: “There’s a great phrase to be magnanimous in victory. I think this is an occasion for us to be magnanimous in defeat.”

Sir David Richards commanded British troops in Afghanistan in 2006 before his elevation as chief of the defence staff.

PAN Monitor/mud