OIC conference: Pakistan welcomes UNSC, US decisions to ease Afghanistan aid flow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday welcomed the steps taken by the UN Security Council and the US to ease aid flow to Afghanistan and credited the development to the recently held Extraordinary Session of The OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in the capital.

“Two important developments have taken place in support of the Afghan people following the OIC [session],” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a Twitter message.

He counted the UNSC resolution to provide aid to Afghanistan as one and noted that the other was the US exemption on US or UN officials doing permitted business with Taliban, previously subjected to US sanctions.

Washington has granted the exemption to help ease aid flow.

Talking to Geo News, Qureshi said the adoption of the resolution on Afghanistan in the UNSC is very important, adding that relaxing sanctions will make life easier for the people.

“This is a very important and timely development. The effects of the OIC meeting on December 19 are beginning to show,” he added.

Thanking the world leaders for ensuring their presence at the moot, the top Pakistan diplomat said: “At a short notice, 30 foreign ministers attended the OIC meeting, including the representatives of Russia, China, UK, France and Italy.”

The FM said that the OIC meeting was addressed by the heads of international financial institutions, Islamic Development Bank, and a representative of the UN Secretary-General also spoke at the conference.

Qureshi said that after Pakistan’s efforts to highlight the brewing crisis in the war-torn country, 39 Members of the US Congress wrote a letter, drawing attention to the Afghan issue.

“After an (enabling) environment was created, the US softened its stance and reconsidered its policy. The door is open for the Afghan people now and aid will reach them,” Qureshi said.