ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday urged the international community to continue to play a constructive role in Afghanistan to ensure “economic sustenance” for its people and avoid another “human catastrophe.”

The administration in Islamabad has frequently raised concern about a possible refugee influx in recent months after US President Joe Biden announced a complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the war-battered country in April.

Afghanistan faces tough economic challenges after decades of conflict and political instability that have made it extremely difficult for its citizens to earn a dignified livelihood.

According to the Asian Development Bank, about two-thirds of the Afghan population live below the poverty line of less than $1.9 per days. A recent Reuters report suggest the number of these people has gone up from 55 percent in 2017.

“We have unambiguously and repeatedly asked [the] global community to play its part in an inclusive and unbiased Afghan [peace] process as well as economic sustenance of Afghanistan to avoid a human catastrophe,” the army chief said while addressing young cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul.

He added that his own country had hosted more than three million Afghan refugees for over four decades despite its fragile economy.

Bajwa also maintained that Pakistan expected the Taliban to fulfil their commitments to the international community by respecting the rights of Afghan nationals, particularly women.

He also urged the top leadership of the group to prevent militant factions from using Afghan soil to target other countries.

The Taliban emerged as a dominant political force in Afghanistan after capturing all major cities and strategic border crossings in recent weeks. Members of the insurgent faction also entered Kabul last Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani left the country and flew to the United Arab Emirates.

Amid growing economic uncertainty in Afghanistan, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen on Friday applauded China’s role in promoting Afghan peace during a media interaction in Beijing and said the Chinese authorities were welcome to contribute to his country’s rebuilding.

“China is a big country with a huge economy and capacity – I think they can play a very big role in the rebuilding, rehabilitation, reconstruction of Afghanistan,” he was quoted by Reuters in a news report.