Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan directed Pakistani authorities to send qualified and trained Pakistan manpower to Afghanistan, the Prime Minister’s office said on Friday.

Khan made the remarks while chairing the third meeting of the Apex Committee on Afghanistan on Friday. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, and National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf, the prime minister's office said.

Khan said the reason behind sending manpower to Afghanistan is to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country. “The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to explore bilateral cooperation with friendly countries as well to stave off humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by exporting qualified and trained manpower especially in medical, IT, finance and accounting,” Khan said, his office tweeted.

Khan also said Pakistan is committed to provide support to the people of Afghanistan and also welcomed the recent UN’s appeal for aid to Afghanistan. Khan also ordered the relevant Pakistani officials to extend cooperation in the fields of railways, minerals, pharmaceuticals, and media to help Afghanistan’s rehabilitation and development.

Khan’s remarks follow a recently published report by New York Time which highlights the lack of professional staff within the Islamic Emirate.

The report says that “many of the selected theologians are graduates of Darul Uloom Haqqania madrasa, one of Pakistan’s oldest and largest Islamic seminaries.” According to the report, they lack professional training and skills required to perform jobs in the government.