FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi expresses reservations about US decision to seize Afghan assets

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has expressed reservations about the US decision to seize the assets owned by Afghanistan.

In a statement on Saturday, he said that seized assets belong to Afghanistan and the Afghans have the right to use them.

"Afghanistan should have the right to use them for the purpose of their choice. Over the past several months, Pakistan has been consistently emphasising the need for international community to quickly act to address the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan and to help revive the Afghan economy, as the two are inextricably linked. Finding ways to unfreeze the Afghan foreign reserves urgently would help address the humanitarian and economic needs of the Afghan people," he added.

The minister said that Pakistan’s principled position on the frozen Afghan foreign bank reserves remains that these are owned by the Afghan nation and these should be released.

"The utilization of Afghan funds should be the sovereign decision of Afghanistan. The Afghan people are facing grave economic and humanitarian challenges and the international community must continue to play its important and constructive role in alleviating their sufferings," he maintained.