Imran Khan's pleading fails: OIC refuses to recognise Taliban, leaves its FM out of photo

In a major blow to Pakistan's efforts to promote Afghanistan's caretaker government, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday did not give the Taliban officials any formal international recognition. Instead, the Afghan-Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi was excluded from the official photograph taken during the event.

 It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan has continued to advocate for recognition of the Taliban interim government on the international platform despite reports of severe human rights abuses in Taliban-led Afghanistan.

In another such attempt, the Taliban sympathiser had knocked on the doors of its neighbouring Muslim countries, calling for a meeting of the 57-member OIC to discuss the legitimacy of the Taliban regime. However, the OIC did not formally recognise the Taliban government. But it resolved to arrange for a team of  international Muslim scholars to engage with the Taliban on issues such as, but not limited to -- tolerance and moderation in Islam, equal access to education and women's rights in Islam.

In response, Mutaqqi, however, said that his government has the “right to be officially recognised."

"The current Afghanistan government is cooperating with every foreign organisation," he told reporters as per ANI, adding that sanctions "must be removed."

"Any government when it can't pay its salaries for its public servants, hospitals, doctors, nurses, any government is going to collapse but chaos suits no one, it certainly does not suit the United States,” Mutaqqi stated. 

OIC nations pledge funds for Afghanistan 

Further, during the meeting, which was the biggest conference on Afghanistan since the US-backed government fell in August and the Taliban returned to power, the delegates pledged to set up a humanitarian trust fund for Afghanistan as millions face poverty and hunger. According to ANI, during the summit organised by Pakistan, urged Afghanistan’s rulers to abide by obligations under international human rights covenants, especially with regards to the rights of women, children, youth, the elderly and people with special needs. 

At the special meeting of the 57-member OIC, delegates said that they would “work to unlock the financial and banking channels to resume liquidity and flow of financial and humanitarian assistance." It also added that the Islamic Development Bank would lead the effort to free up assistance by the first quarter of next year. 

Separately, while addressing the conference virtually, UN emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said that Afghanistan’s economy is in “free fall.” Griffiths warned that if decisive and compassionate action is not taken immediately, it may pull the entire population with it. He painted a grim picture of 23 million people facing hunger in Afghanistan, malnourished children overflowing in health facilities, 70% of teachers working without salaries and millions of students out of school. 

(With inputs from ANI)