ISLAMABAD, 12 November 2021, (TON): Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that it was crucial for the international community to avoid repeating mistakes of the past and pursue positive engagements in order to avert economic collapse or an all-out civil war from breaking out in Afghanistan.

Addressing the opening session of the two-day meeting of Troika Plus, comprising US, Russia, China and Pakistan, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign minister said engagement with Afghanistan was important as nobody wished to see a relapse into civil war and an economic collapse to spur instability.

He said "everyone wants terrorist elements operating inside Afghanistan to be tackled effectively and we all want to prevent a new refugee crisis.”

He said “peace in Afghanistan was not only important for Pakistan, but for the rest of the world as well.”

The foreign minister said that Afghanistan stood at the brink of economic collapse today and with international funding dried up, it had become difficult to even pay salaries, let alone pursue development projects.

He said “people were reeling under the effects of a severe drought, adding that any further downward slide would severely limit the new administration's capacity to run the government.”

He stressed "it is, therefore, imperative for the international community to buttress the provision of humanitarian assistance on an urgent basis.”

Added that the sectors of health, education and municipal services required urgent attention.