Hina Rabbani Khar calls for easing sanctions on Afghanistan.

BERLIN -- Minister of the State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar called for an easing of Western sanctions against Afghanistan under the Taliban government, saying the basic functioning of the Afghan economy must not be endangered.

The Taliban takeover last year prompted foreign governments, led by the United States, to cut development and security aid, and the strict enforcement of sanctions has debilitated the country's banking sector.

In an interview with Germany's Welt newspaper published on Thursday, Khar said isolating Afghanistan economically was pushing the country into economic collapse.

"If the country remains locked out of international banking and its foreign assets remain frozen, then that is what will happen. We must not promote famine," she added.

The minister said the Western troop withdrawal from Afghanistan...

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