Political reconciliation stressed for peace in Afghanistan

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a three-day moot read out research papers on different themes affecting the peace in the region and also provided suggestions to resolve the ongoing conflict.

The conference “Politics (Dis) Integration and Reformation in the Borderland” was organised by the Department of Political Science and Hanns Seidel Foundation Islamabad from September 3 to 5.

A former civil servant, Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, presented his research on “Reconciliation and Changing Geo-Politics of Afghanistan and its Impact on the Region.” He said the global players had national interests and foreign policy revolved around energy security, strategic economic interests and how to access mineral and energy reserves.

Akhtar Ali Shah said Afghanistan strategic location provides access and proximity to West Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia but peace and stability inside Afghanistan was the main question.

He said the stakeholders in the region had to be mindful that a superpower would go after from where the threat to their national vital interest emanated. “Since 9/11 at least that had been the policy of the United States engagement in Afghanistan was to defeat, disrupt and dismantle al-Qaeda. Subsequently, only the tactics kept on changing. The National Security Strategy of the US focused to eliminate regarded as the `epicentre` of terrorism in the region,” he said in his research paper. The objective of US strategy was not to allow the resurgence of safe havens that enabled terrorists to threaten America, he said.

The speaker said instability in Afghanistan would adversely impact China’s one belt and one road programme, will help Daesh and concept Khilafat and other absolutist ideologues, Jihadi rhetoric, radical messages in media and social networking will gain momentum.

Akhtar Ali Shah said Pakistan border would have fragile security, as well as West Asia region would not be stable. Democracy would not flourish. The international community might push towards isolation with economic catastrophe results. There would be possible refugees and IDPs crisis due to increased militancy.

He said the only solution was political reconciliation, Afghan-owned and the Afghan-led peace process. In this context, UN was suggested to be the guarantor with Peace Corps of UN so as to avoid the repeat of Dr Najeeb’s episode.

The speaker said all stakeholders should focus on building regional connectivity and developing a community of shared interests.