ISLAMABAD, Aug 22 (APP):SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Sunday called upon the international community to support Afghanistan economically to help rebuild one of the world’s poorest state.
Talking to a delegation of senior lawyers led by Mian Jaffer Hussain, President SAARC chamber Iftikhar Ali Malik said it was equally essential for the international players and major donors to stay engaged in order to support the people of war torn Afghanistan and restore it’s totally collapsed economy.
He said the Taliban have promised to improve Afghanistan’s economy but new regime badly needs foreign aid.
Other members of delegation included Mian Mahmood Ahmad Qazi, Junaid, Jawwad Tariq Nasim, Asif Nazir Awan, Jalil Ur Rehman, Shafique Butt, Mian Dawood, Anas Sh and Ayesha Shafique.
He said “Afghanistan is tremendously dependent on foreign aid which is about 10 times or even more than the Taliban has been able to obtain from its own finance”.
He said that aid flow in 2020 represented 42.9 percent of Afghanistan’s $19.8 billion GDP. Afghanistan’s economy was shaped by fragility and aid dependence, he added.
Iftikhar Ali Malik said the Afghan economy has taken a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic and the new regime of Taliban has acknowledged that it cannot improve the situation without foreign help. He said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has also spoken to many countries to work with us on our economy as Afghanistan needs their help.
He said peaceful political settlement of Afghanistan was pre-requisite for stability in the region. He said Pakistan attached great importance to Afghanistan as safety and security as well as protection of the rights of all Afghans was critically important.
He said that its high time for all international players and donors give peace a chance to prevail in the Afghanistan for help restore durable tranquility in the region besides de-freezing their donations.