Pakistan offers to host OIC summit proposed by Saudi Arabia to discuss Afghan crisis

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed on Monday Saudi Arabia's request to call an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers to deliberate upon the Afghanistan crisis and offered to host the meeting in Islamabad on December 17.

Saudi Arabia, which is the chair of the OIC summit, made the call for the extraordinary session earlier on Monday, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

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According to the FO's statement, Qureshi also highlighted the need for providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan in these difficult times.

"Afghanistan is a founding member of the OIC. As part of the Islamic Ummah, we are bound by fraternal bonds of amity and brotherhood with the people of Afghanistan," he said.

Qureshi further said that “Afghanistan faces a serious humanitarian situation — millions of Afghans, including women and children, confront an uncertain future due to [the] shortage of food, medicines, and other essential life supplies".

He emphasised the need for the OIC to step in to help our Afghan brethren.

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"We should step up our collective efforts to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, provide immediate and sustained support to them, and continue to remain engaged with them for the wellbeing and prosperity of Afghanistan."

Global aid agencies have warned that more than half of Afghanistan's 38 million population are expected to face hunger this winter, as the country grapples with a deteriorating economy following the Islamists' return to power.

Inflation and unemployment have surged in Afghanistan, and international aid that made up 75 percent of the previous US-backed government's budget has completely dried up.