Meeting of Pak-Afghan joint committee: ‘Pak-Afghan people-to-people contact important’

Islamabad: Islamabad has been extending an olive branch to Kabul for long, but Afghans look at it with sheer suspicion. In contrast, often, Afghanistan first asks Pakistan to get involved in the peace process, but the moment Pakistan jumps in, Afghan government gets upset with it. This contradictory approach needs to be decoded.

On the other side, Pakistan sees its interest being threatened from the Afghan soil. So, amid all this, people to people contact is of sheer importance and forums like this help in clearing such notions, says moderator Kathy Gannon, Pakistan-Afghanistan Expert and Senior Journalist at Associated Press, while speaking at the sixth meeting of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Committee Member (PAJC) - under the Centre for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) Pakistan-Afghanistan Track 1.5/II initiate - Beyond Boundaries.

The meeting was structured for discussion around the dynamics of intra-Afghan dialogue, the fears regarding the future of Afghanistan in the wake of possible new set-up post intra-Afghan talks, regional interests attached to Afghan peace process, the future of Afghanistan’s economic viability, Pak-Afghan bilateral relations, people to people contacts, along with other important factors that comes into the equation.

The meeting was attended by the influentials on both sides, including senior parliamentarians, former ambassadors, ex-military officials and experts on the subject matter.

With the signing of US-Taliban peace deal and recent election fiasco in Afghanistan - two rival Presidents swearing-in at the same time - there are fears over the sustainability of the peace deal and concerns over its long-term consequences. This prompts cautious optimism and wary cynicism, in particular considering that the next step - an intra-Afghan dialogue - will be a bumpy road to ride through.

Delegates from both sides, shared the view that first and foremost, without internal impetus to change the existing state of affairs within Afghanistan cannot go forward. External pressures can only go so far – signing of the peace deal and offering a window of opportunity in facilitating upcoming intra-Afghan dialogue.

It is also the test of the Afghan leadership to rise above their personal power struggles and fragile egos, for the better future of Afghan nation. In such countries, where there is cultural diversity and ethnic division, it is the wisdom of leadership that steers the nation towards a common ground.

Regarding Pakistan role vis-à-vis peace process, it was discussed and emphasized that it is the key stakeholder in the Afghan peace process. The speakers were of the opinion that Islamabad should be viewed as a connector rather than a destabilizer.

They said that the world is also acknowledging Pakistan’s positive role in bringing Taliban to table talks. Further, the delegates from both sides agreed that Islamabad should continue its facilitation regarding the Afghan peace process till the end, by utilizing whatever influence it has over elements within the Afghan Taliban, without becoming a party to it.

Meanwhile, Afghan side was of the view that Pakistan should prioritize peace in Afghanistan over its strategic preference of having a friendly government in the country, if a neutral one is a prerequisite for progress. Pakistani delegates agreed to the notion along with reminding their counterparts that Taliban were never Islamabad’s friends and the notion that Taliban would be pro-Pakistan if they manage to be part of the government is blown out of proportion. Except diplomatic niceties, Pakistan got no advantage from Taliban regime in past.

The world needs to understand that Islamabad does not possess a joy-stick to set the direction of Taliban’s trajectory. It just enjoys a certain amount of goodwill, which is already being used to facilitate the peace process, Pakistani delegates added.

With respect to conflicting external stakeholders, it was suggested that conflicting geo-political interests of different stakeholders must be rectified to attain sustainable peace. It must be taken into account that there are certain interest groups that want to preserve the uncertainty and instability, in order to safeguard their own interests in an economy defined by war and conflict of over four decades.

Though, participants highlighted that without internal spoilers, external ones cannot do much. So, both the countries need to look inwards first for the spoilers. Towards the conclusion of the meeting, both sides jointly drafted recommendations for improving Pak-Afghan bilateral ties, to be shared with both the governments and other relevant stakeholders. Some of the joint recommendations included; both governments should resume the discussion on the process of Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity APAPPS; both governments should jumpstart the process of bilateral negotiations for renewing existing APTTA and PTA; establishment of Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Caucus; establishment of Pakistan-Afghanistan Youth Caucus, encouraging media partnership and so on.