‘Uncertainty causing brain drain in Afghanistan’

Islamabad : Following the complete US pull out from Afghanistan, brain drain is posing a serious threat to the restoration of normalcy in the war-torn country as skilled and educated people are moving out due to uncertain future. The situation warrants some immediate action by the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to ensure predictability in governance to address the chaos engulfing the lives of millions of Afghans.

The issue was highlighted by panellists during a round table on ‘Afghanistan: Post-US Withdrawal – Present and Future Challenges’ organised by the Institute of Policy Studies here on Friday.

The participants included academics, intellectuals, journalists, students, members of the Pak-Afghan Youth Forum (PAYF), and an Afghan delegation comprising politicians, former government officials and journalists. Noted among the Afghan nationals were deputy chairman of National Peace Council Maulvi Ataaur Rehman Saleem, former governor of Kabul Ahmadullah Alizai, former transport minister Husani Mubarak Azizi, and former governor of Nuristan province Jamaluddin Badr.

The panelists included IPS chairman Khalid Rahman, former ambassador and IPS vice-chairman Syed Abrar Hussain, strategic expert Brigadier (r) Said Nazir, author Juma Khan Sufi, journalist Mahmood Jaan Babar, dean of the Center of International Peace and Stability, NUST, Dr Tughral Yamin, chairman of the Institute of Regional Studies, Peshawar, Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil, director at the Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies Dr Haroon Khatibi, and DG of the PAYF Salman Javed.

They believed that the Afghan Taliban were a reality and their recognition by the government could help chalk out a pragmatic future line of action guaranteeing prosperity of Afghanistan. According to them, all Afghan factions representing different political and ethnic shades need to sit together and engage with each other for the formation of an inclusive government.

It was also felt at the session that the vacuum of a government structure in the existing scenario has given birth to political instability and uncertainty, resulting in fears and apprehensions among Afghans who want peace and stability so that business activities can resume and skilled people can find job opportunities.

Stressing the need for looking at the current situation in Afghanistan through the prism of humanitarian crisis, the Afghan delegates urged Pakistan and other regional countries to come forward to help Afghans, who are in dire need of food and economic assistance.

They also requested neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, to open their borders to accommodate stranded Afghan refugees in their hour of need.

Strong cultural, religious, ethnic, academic and historic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan were also discussed at the round table.

The panelists maintained that 90 per cent of Afghan religious clerics received their education in Pakistani madrasas and many senior government officials completed their higher education during their stay in Pakistan as refugees.

The speakers lamented the prevailing uncertainty, which is also taking its toll on Afghan students, who are unsure about their academic future post US withdrawal.

They urged academia in Pakistan to step up efforts to facilitate the access of Afghan students to better education. This will also improve bilateral people-to-people contacts between both the nations.

Khalid Rahman opined that the Afghan Taliban should be given some time to form a government and demonstrate their governance and normalise the situation in Afghanistan.

He cautioned against enemies of both Afghanistan and Pakistan who continue portraying a sorry picture of the state of affairs in Afghanistan and sabotage Pak-Afghan relations for their vested interests by spreading hate and misinformation.