Faridullah Farid
The last prophet and messenger of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.W) said, “The believers in their love, mutual compassion and intimate relationships are like one body; when any section suffers, the whole body responds with alertness and fever. The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffer, so does the rest of his body.” [Muslim]
Are we so preoccupied that we can’t even stop to consider how a segment of our Ummah is suffering? Are we so preoccupied with our own life that we can’t spare a few minutes to help, assist and provide aid to Afghanis?
According to Afhan and regional media reports the recent flash flooding in almost 12 provinces of Afghanistan has directly affected over 485 families (approx 3400 individuals), destruction of hundreds of homes, damaging of crops and martyrdom of at least 29 Afghanis warrants prompt response from World Community especially US and EU, International donor agencies, OIC and regional powers to help out Afghanistan which is already faced with a severe humanitarian crisis and direly needs support. However, the international community currently though concerned with the Russia-Ukraine conflict but it is forgetting the challenges currently facing by Afghanistan. As far as Pakistan is concerned it always attains front position to help out its Afghan brethren in all kinds of humanitarian crisis.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are two neighbouring and brotherly Muslim nations and as per teachings of Islam the troubles of a Muslim are the troubles of other Muslims and it is necessary for them to help each other. It is very clearly mentioned in Ahadith that helping Muslims with food, clothes and other needs is both a duty and a rewarding act. The best deed in the sight of Allah is to please and help a Believer while he/she needs your assistance, to relieve him of his burden, to pay off his debts, or to satisfy his hunger.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a long history of brotherly relationship in which Pakistan has always aided its Afghan compatriots, whether it was in the face of natural disasters or conflicts. Pakistan’s policy toward Afghanistan is very defined, with the establishment of close cooperation, relations with Afghanistan a top goal in Pakistan’s foreign policy and a key component of Pakistan’s vision of a “peaceful neighbourhood.” Pakistan is committed to maintaining a friendly and cooperative relationship with Afghanistan based on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
As per latest fagires and statistics available on the website of Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Pakistan’s development contribution to Afghanistan topped $1 billion in June of last year. The country’s development assistance is focused on infrastructure, education, health, agriculture and professional capacity building in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Pakistan has built three hospitals: the 200-bed Jinnah Hospital in Kabul, the 80-bed Nishtar Kidney Center in Jalalabad and the 100-bed Naib Aminullah Khan Logar Hospital. Torkham-Jalalabad Road (75 km), Torkham-Jalalabad Additional Carriage Way (73 km), 15 Weigh Bridges, donation of road construction machinery, construction of internal road in Jalalabad, and donation of telecom and electrical system are among Pakistan’s infrastructure projects in Afghanistan.
The data also shows that Pakistan has built the Rehman Baba School and Hostel in Kabul, the Allama Iqbal Faculty of Arts at Kabul University, the Sir Syed Science Block at Nangarhar University Jalalabad, and the Liaqat Ali Khan Engineering Block at Balkh University in Mazar-e-Sharif, in addition to providing scholarships to nearly 4000 Afghan students. Pakistan is also offering 3,000 Afghan students with fully financed scholarships. Approximately 50,000 Afghans who attended our educational institutes are now serving in their country.
Pakistan is also supporting Afghanistan in developing its agricultural, banking, railways, military, and diplomatic capacities. In 2017, the government launched capacity-building projects for Afghan healthcare workers, with 59 Afghan medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and technicians, completing their training successfully. In addition, the Institute of Kidney Diseases in Peshawar has begun educating 42 Afghan healthcare personnel. Pakistan has also harboured millions of Afghan refugees for the past four decades, as is widely acknowledged. In Pakistan, there are over 2.8 million Afghan refugees.
Currently, though Pakistan is confronted with economic recession but keeping in view its responsibility of being an elder muslim brother nation it has extended its hand of brotherhood to Afghan brethren by providing timely relief. A plane loaded with food items and shelter items has reached Afghanistan on 7 May, 2022 as the first batch of Pakistan’s relief assistance for flood-affected people. Similarly, Pakistan dispatched it second relief consignment for flood affected areas and people of Afghanistan on 10 May, 2022 and as a neighbouring and brotherly country, Pakistan had and will always continue to be at the forefront to stand by Afghan brethren through thick and thin and provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Besides, this Pakistan has also urged the OIC to intensify its efforts in assisting the affected Afghan people through the Afghan Humanitarian Trust Forum (AHTF) as flood could worsen the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan which is already confronted with numerous challenges.
Keeping in view the all out efforts and assistance of Pakistan for its muslim Afghan brethen and sistern it is very clear that how much it feels for Afghanistan. Afghan government and the people of Afghanistan must realize that brotherly relationship between the two states and sustainable peace in Afghanistan is a key to success and development. Both Afghanis and Pakistanis are brothers, they share common religion, ethnic and cultural bond and they must shun their differences which are temporarily created by our common enemies who are against regional peace. It is high time for international community and donor agencies particularly the UN to give humanity a preference over esteemed political interests and launch a special humanitarian programme to help almost 20 million people of Afghanistan who are in dire need of food, medical and shelters.
The author is media scholar and freelance journalist faridfaiz@hotmail.com
