Imran Khan seeks 'immediate release' of Afghanistan's frozen assets amid economic turmoil

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday, Nov. 13 demanded immediate release of Afghanistan's frozen assets so that the country can emerge out of the economic and financial crisis. At a meeting with a Taliban delegation, convened by the acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Islamabad who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan, Imran Khan highlighted the urgency of unfreezing the Afghan assets for facilitating banking transactions and averting an economic meltdown within the conflict-ravaged nation, according to Pajhwok Afghan News. 

Addressing the United States and the international community, Pakistan’s Prime Minister stressed that Afghanistan’s economic woes and the humanitarian crisis can be relieved if the country was able to conduct the banking transactions. Khan was referring to approximately $9.5 billion of the Afghan central bank's reserves that the US President Joe Biden has blocked since the Taliban took over the political power on Aug. 15 by toppling the now-ousted Ashraf Ghani regime. 

International community 'underscored urgent need' to unfreeze Afghan assets, says Khan 

At the meeting where Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and a visiting Afghan delegation was present, Khan said that the international community “underscored the urgent need to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets and facilitation of banking transactions to prevent an economic meltdown,” according to a statement released by the premier’s office. He went on to assure the Afghan delegation that Islamabad “will continue to provide all possible support including humanitarian assistance-in-kind” to Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has been consistently calling for the provision of immediate humanitarian relief for Afghanistan. Pakistan would provide essential food items including wheat and rice, emergency medical supplies, and shelter items for Afghanistan,” Pakistan Prime minister Imran Khan’s statement read on Saturday, Nov. 13.

He added, that Islamabad would also “favorably consider the request by Afghan brothers for transportation of wheat offered by India through Pakistan on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes.”

Khan stressed that a “peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan” was important for Pakistan as well as the entire central Asian region. “Continued security and resolute counterterrorism actions, respect for rights of all Afghans, and inclusivity in governance and politics would further contribute to Afghanistan’s stability,” his statement read. He also asked the Afghan government to “continue to constructively engage with the international community and keep on taking positive measures to address the prevailing challenges.”

The meeting comes as nearly 23 million people or 55% of the Afghan population was reported facing emergency levels of food insecurity. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned in a report that millions of Afghans will suffer starvation this winter as it called for urgent global action to avert the humanitarian crisis.