Islamic world pitches ways to aid desperately poor Afghans
CTV
Islamic countries are scrambling to find ways to help Afghanistan avert an imminent economic collapse they say would have a 'horrendous' global impact.
The hastily called meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Islamabad ended with a promise to set up a fund to provide humanitarian aid through the Islamic Development Bank, which would provide a cover for countries to donate without dealing directly with the country's Taliban rulers.
In a press conference at the end of the summit, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also described what he called good news from the United States, whose special representative on Afghanistan, Tom West, attended the summit.
He said West met with the Taliban delegation led by the interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the sidelines. Qureshi said West also said he was mandated to "engage " with the Taliban, that U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan would not carry preconditions and there could be as much as US$1.2 billion available through the World Bank in money that could be released to Afghanistan.
There was no immediate response from the U.S. to Qureshi's statements.
