Peaceful, stable Afghanistan is in favour of region: NSA

Islamabad: National Security Adviser Lt Gen (r) Nasser Khan Janjua has said that Pakistan and Afghanistan share numerous opportunities and share common economic future with a potential to connect to markets of Europe, Africa and rest of Asia thereby becoming a trade and economic hub of the world.

Gen Janjua was addressing a special seminar on ‘Peace – a dividend for development and stability in Afghanistan’ organised here by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI in collaboration with National Security Division, Government of Pakistan at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services.

Gen Janjua said that CPEC is only half of the dream of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Afghanistan is next half of the dream by connecting whole central Asia and Europe. He said Pakistan is the only country that can multiply the regional economies; and Pakistan needs to work beyond CPEC and connect the whole world. He lamented that no country ever invested in peace in the region. He assured that Pakistan will support any effort of peace process by Afghan as peace is a dividend for both the countries, the region the world. He said that the people of Pakistan wanted to see Afghanistan as a peaceful, prosperous and stable country.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive, SDPI, said that CPEC would remain a mere road and rail link unless there is peace on the borders especially on the borders with Afghanistan and India. He observed that peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in favour of the region. He stressed the importance of China in the prevailing environment of mistrust. He said that China will soon become a common economic denominator in the region and China’s investment in the region would in turn bring more prosperity once peace prevails.

Imtiaz Gul Senior, head of Centre for Research and Security Studies said that until we engage with Afghanistan and create a whole-of-government approach through single-window joint civil-military mechanism, dividends of peace will remain allusive. The civil and military bureaucracy needs to prioritise economic and human development as means to survival as a self-respecting nation instead of always looking beyond borders for help and sustenance. Rustam Shah Mohmand and Syed Iftikhar Hussain Babar also spoke on the occasion.