Islamabad:Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director, CRSS, said that the geopolitical concerns of neighbouring countries coupled with Pakistan's vulnerability made Islamabad the primary victim of cross-border militancy.
Mr Gul was speaking at launching ceremony here of “Complex terrorism landscape in Pakistan-Afghanistan region: Afghan Emirate as counter-terror partner,” the latest publication of Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). Mr Gul said we must recalibrate our policies to address the root causes of this violence.
Masood Khalid, former ambassador of Pakistan to China, said that China’s engagement with the Taliban is rooted in its long-term and pragmatic interests where stability in Afghanistan aligns with Beijing’s goals of regional economic integration and security. However, the Taliban must demonstrate their willingness to combat transnational threats.
He further said that East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is a serious issue but China is likely to continue engagement with Taliban regime and not make terrorism an excuse for disengagement. The issue of transnational threats emanating from Afghanistan are a source of serious concern for all countries. The Trump administration is likely to come back to Afghanistan and seek accountability from Taliban on their Doha promises.
Malick Ceesay, head of Pakistan-based liaison office for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that disengagement is neither an option nor helpful to Afghans adding that we must collectively engage with Afghanistan to create an entry point for helping millions of Afghans that are in distress and also help the country deal with its longstanding challenges.
He said that peace and stability of Afghanistan is the concern of the entire international community and not just of the United Nations. He said all wanting to see the country prosper, stable and enjoy lasting peace. UNAMA and UN are committed and working to make that possible through engagement, regional collaboration and coordination, he observed.
Principal author of the report Dr Aamer Raza from Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar, said the rise of Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) and the consolidation of TTP through splinter groups pose twin challenges with divergent objectives — localised versus transnational jihad — demand differentiated and targeted responses.
The participants had a consensus that the international community cannot afford to disengage from Afghanistan as it risks exacerbating security challenges, further destabilising the region and undermining counterterrorism progress.
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