‘Militant groups on Afghan soil challenging regional security’

Islamabad:The presence of various militant groups on Afghan soil poses a significant challenge to regional security, says to veteran journalist and former Associated Press correspondent Kathy Gannon.

Ms Gannon was speaking at an event on “Geopolitical shifts and security challenges: Pakistan, Afghanistan and the regional power play” organised here by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS).

Ms Gannon said that while Afghanistan might not want all the militant groups on its territory nor did Kabul invite them all, but they were still there. While appreciating recent positive developments in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, she emphasised the importance of restoring trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan. She was of the view that Pakistan could better influence the Afghan government by treating it as an equal and a partner in pursuing its regional objectives. She also urged Islamabad to take steps against all terrorist groups through a concerted long-term strategy to address its internal security challenges.

Ms Gannon maintained that Afghanistan was still relevant for the US policymakers because of the increasing Chinese influence in the country as well as its mineral wealth.

Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former Special Representative for Afghanistan, referred to Pakistan and Afghanistan as twin brothers who had come to each other’s help whenever needed notwithstanding the state of their relationship at the time. He hailed the upgradation of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the inclusion of Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as positive developments. He added that in the recent high-level trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China, the three countries agreed to oppose terrorism, carry out law enforcement.