‘Collective approach to strengthen regional stability, economic connectivity’

Islamabad:Only through a collective approach and joint strategy, Pakistan and Afghanistan can eliminate the threats jeopardising regional security and fostering economic cooperation and connectivity.

This was agreed by the participants of 2nd Pakistan-Afghanistan Civil Society Conference on ‘Exploring approaches for regional peace and stability’ organised here by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in collaboration with its Afghan partner Organisation for Economic Studies and Peace (OESP). The dialogue brought together prominent civil society stakeholders from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to discuss pressing issues and potential approaches oriented towards solutions. Despite ongoing border closures, the dialogue demonstrated a commitment to cooperation and moving in the right direction.

In the interest of trade and people-to-people relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as the region at large, the socio-economic life should be insulated from political disputes, they stressed. While the informal actors of diplomacy may not have the mandate to solve the problems of bilateral or regional concern, they can still generate actionable recommendations and develop joint proposals necessary to inform the policy actors inside the formal channels of diplomacy and reach a solution.

The issue of Afghan girls' education must not be left to chance but conscious efforts are required to change the status quo. They called upon the need to address educational and women's rights issues in Afghanistan suggesting that these should be seen in the context of the economic and developmental needs of Afghanistan. The restrictions on girls’ education are not reflective of the aspirations of the Afghan populace. The international community must step up and deliver on the promises made to Afghan girls and women.

Participants laid emphasis on the importance of addressing security threats to the entire region posed by groups like Al-Qaeda, TTP and IS. They stressed the need for a joint strategy, with regional approach at its core, to counter these proxy terrorist organisations.

While acknowledging the tension in Chitral as a serious security challenge, the forum recognised the need to understand the mentalities of these extremist groups to be able to cope with them and encouraged diplomatic engagement to resolve issues instead of media allegations and blame game.

There was consensus on the need for a collective approach to address extremist threats in the region. Participants highlighted the importance of reciprocal and equal relationships between nations. The issue of refugees and their treatment was also discussed, acknowledging its impact on trust and mistrust between the two countries. The dialogue underscored the importance of insulating social-economic life from unresolved issues and putting contentious matters on the back burner. Indigenous peacebuilding frameworks were also encouraged.

In the session on economic cooperation, participants highlighted the importance of economic prosperity, trade and border stability while pointing out that economic cooperation should not be affected by political or security issues. Issues related to smuggling, sudden border closures and the need to build trust within the business community were discussed. The collaboration between small businesses and indigenous people was seen as a way to create stakes and promote peace.

Participants accepted the importance of cooperating and strengthening relations with Afghanistan, even in the absence of full recognition of the Taliban-led government. The dialogue concluded with a focus on the need for continued engagement and cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the interest of regional economic connectivity.