Pak-Afghan experts for cooperation in various fields

KARACHI: The Pakistan government’s decision to extend the period of stay for Afghan refugees is quite welcoming. Tackling trust deficit and improving security situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is crucial. The momentum to make terrorist outfits weaker in Pakistan is increasing. Pakistan and Afghanistan should focus on improving the bilateral trade. The media can play a critical role in improving public perceptions on both sides. The blame-game is the core issue between the two countries and it must be solved. Border management is extremely important to ensure to and fro movement of goods and people between the two countries, and also to monitor terrorists’ movement across the two countries through the porous border. The bilateral issues should be solved in a more holistic manner. There should not be standstill on bilateral relations. The two countries should cooperate in the fields of security, sports, media, education, arts and culture for peaceful future. Both countries need to build on the commonalities such as religion, cultural values, food, music, language etc.

These were the notions expressed by the members of Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Committee during their third workshop in Karachi as part of Beyond Boundaries II, a track I.5/II dialogue series undertaken by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in partnership with Afghan counterpart Women Peace and Security Organization (WPSO) to foster better understanding and cooperation between civil society members of the two neighbours, soothe bitter context and address the trust deficit between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Besides their interactions during the workshop, the members also met with the Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar and  Azhar Abbas of Geo News.

Former ambassador of Sweden to Pakistan and Afghanistan Ann Wilkens, while chairing the meeting as regional expert between working group members from both sides, said that she was very glad to see the initiatives like Beyond Boundaries aimed at normalising the bilateral relations. “Afghanistan and Pakistan had a great potential,” she added. “Having served in both countries as ambassador, I love Afghanistan and Pakistan equally and want to see them as friendly neighbours always.”

“We must appreciate the efforts of Afghan military which is though still in the process of training but still able to recoil the Taliban attacks. We fear a possible spring offensive and Daesh attacks in 2017. We must also appreciate the increasing momentum in Pakistan to make terrorist outfits weaker”, said Khalid Pashtoon, member of Afghanistan parliament. He further added that there were no issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan at people to people level. He said that both countries needed to build on the commonalities such as religion, cultural values, food, music, language etc. He further suggested that the main concerns on both sides should be considered to reach an acceptable conclusion.

Muzammil Shinwari, former Afghan deputy minister for trade and commerce, welcomed government of Pakistan’s decision to extend the period of stay for Afghan refugees. “There is a dire need to tackle the longstanding trust deficit and improve security situation between both countries. Both the countries should focus on improving bilateral trade. The transit trade had also dropped down which can affect the bilateral trade,” he said. He thanked Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initiative for inviting Afghan players to Pakistan. Shinwari said that scholarships were very important for improving perceptions at youth level and there should be fair and merit-based distribution of these scholarships.

Advisor to Afghan defense ministry Wazhma Frogh said that media could play a key role; nevertheless, it needed right piece of information to properly serve its purpose of public information and improving publics’ perceptions. In this regard, the knowledge should be created on and about both sides to fill the gap and give more fruit for thought to media. She further noted that the experts as part of track 2 dialogues should discuss the issues they can better influence with both governments.

 “You cannot defeat terrorism by terrorism”, Elay Ershad, member of Afghan parliament, said while underpinning the importance of dialogue for peace. “Afghanistan is not willing to support any initiative which is against its national security,” said Ershad.

Former federal tax ombudsman and IGP Shoaib Suddle said that the blame-game was the core issue between Afghanistan and Pakistan and it must be solved as the other regional actors try to take advantage of it. Suddle said: “There is positive progress being made on the issue of border management. Border management becomes extremely important given the movement of goods and people between the two countries. This is also critical from the point of view of terrorists’ movement across the two countries through porous border. The main concern on Pakistan’s side is that Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan and other regional countries should be independent. The bilateral issues should be solved in a more holistic manner. The new Pakistani COAS’s conversation with both Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah is a positive development.”

Former Pakistani ambassador Qazi Humayun said that there should not be standstill on bilateral relations. He informed the meeting that the prime minister of Pakistan urged to explore new avenues of cooperation with Afghanistan, during a national security meeting recently. “The dialogue about future of Afghanistan shouldn’t be to its exclusion. Afghanistan’s participation in such dialogues is in its best interest”, he referred to the Russia-China-Pakistan trilateral meeting in Moscow. He also quoted Sartaj Aziz that Pakistan wishes to facilitate the transit trade in a focused manner.

“If Pakistan is to be blamed for negatives, it must also be appreciated for the positives”, said MNA, Pakistan, Shazia Marri, while adding that it was time to undo the damages to bilateral relations and move forward. Both sides should understand the genuine need for cooperation in security, sports, media, education, arts and culture for peaceful future.

Former Pakistani ambassador Mian Sana said that mistrust was the core issue between both countries and demanded serious discussions sitting together. “The two governments must also immediately resume their relations. The Moscow meeting was part of the international readjustments, realignments in the wake of the new world order,” said Sana.

Senior Pakistani journalist Tahir Khan noted that the media needed an enabling environment to play its role for peace and perception building, which also includes support from the governments.

The points of convergences that resonated with the members from both sides included cooperation in the fields of sports, health, education, media, visa, and arts and culture.

They recommended cooperation opportunities for exchange program on sports especially for girls. They urged Pakistani government to simplify and facilitate the visa process for enhanced people to people contact and cooperation in the field of health, especially the issuance of visas for patients in emergency cases at Torkham and Spin Boldak. They also recommended academic scholarships for Afghan students for educational and vocational programs. Governments and civil society of both countries may encourage hosting students for exchange programs. Provincial governments in Pakistan may consider offering academic scholarships for Afghan students. For cooperation in arts and culture, they recommended scholarships for artists and exhibitions of famous trade brands on both sides. They also suggested cultural and social programs to promote respective cultures.

During the meeting with Pak-Afghan joint committee members, the Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar noted that the two countries should explore the areas of cooperation to improve their bilateral relations. He shared the initiatives taken by his ministry to improve the provincial education system with the Afghan delegates, especially the monitoring and biometric system to track the attendance of teachers. The Afghan members said that these initiatives were inspiring examples for them to replicate.

Azhar Abbas of Geo News assured full support and cooperation of his organisation to reduce the bitterness, misperceptions and distrust between Afghanistan and Pakistan and also suggested to involve other media groups for the cause.  He also highlighted the importance of digital media as means for mainstreaming the content of mutual interest.