Pakistan, China call for release of Afghan bank assets

Pakistan and China on Sunday called for the release of Afghan bank assets to improve the humanitarian situation in the country.

Pakistan and China have called for the release of Afghan bank assets to improve the humanitarian situation in the country.

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, reported Tolo News.

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.

"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 read.

Following the collapse of the former Afghan government, over USD 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, reported Tolo News.

"On Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that a peaceful, stable, united, safe, and secure Afghanistan is fundamental for prosperity and progress in the region," added the statement.

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, reported Tolo News.

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

The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian, and security crisis.

A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged a country already suffering from high poverty levels into a full-blown economic crisis.

Meanwhile, the international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people.

It has been nearly six months after the Taliban recaptured power in Afghanistan but they have not been recognized by any country yet.

Taliban, who are desperate to seek international recognition, and have time and again been reminded that respect for women and human rights, establishing inclusive government, not allowing Afghanistan to become a safe haven of terrorism are the preconditions for the recognition set by the international community.

( With inputs from ANI )