On Thursday, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed that Pakistan wants lasting peace in neighboring Afghanistan.
He expressed these views in the meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who called on him in Islamabad.
Matters pertaining to evacuation from Afghanistan and humanitarian assistance for Afghan citizens were discussed during the meeting.
Sheikh Rasheed said that the Taliban should be given time to form a government and run the country’s affairs.
He said Afghan citizens would not be left alone in the current situation - food, medicine, and other essentials would be provided to Afghans on humanitarian grounds.
He urged the international community to understand the ground realities in Afghanistan.
“Taliban will have to ensure financial and human resources for governance in Afghanistan,” the minister added.
The minister went on to say that refugees could lead to possible humanitarian famine, instability and lawlessness in Afghanistan, adding that trucks and planeloads of food and medicine have been sent to Afghanistan under humanitarian assistance.
On the occasion, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees lauded Pakistan’s role in the continuous care of over 3 million Afghan refugees.
Grandi said that the UN will not leave the Afghan citizens alone and will help them in any way possible, adding that the United Nations has mobilized the world for funding and assistance to Afghanistan.
“The UN is grateful to the government of Pakistan for providing security and visa facilities to its staff,” he concluded.