ISLAMABAD: Regional as well as global security dimensions are changing fast.
New alignments and realignments are in the making; unexpected blocks are emerging. In this scenario, Pakistan and Afghanistan are no different. Both of these countries, too, are trying to keep up with the expeditiously unfolding nuances. It is in this context that a need for joint framework or mechanism, especially one on the security aspect, was felt materialising into Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace & Solidarity (APAPPS).
Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik thinks all this augers well for future cooperation. He was speaking at the 15th Pak-Afghan Youth Dialogue – a youth initiative by Afghan Studies Centre and a peace building step aimed at mitigating the existing misunderstandings and misperceptions across both borders.
Lt General Asif Yasin Malik believes the APAPPS framework manifests the intent from both sides to work together now and seek solutions to issues of mutual concern. The most promising factor about APAPPS is its exclusive Pak-Afghan bilateralism, he said.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are in a transition-stage, though from different perspectives. Pakistan is moving forward towards an improved form of democracy and good-governance, while the Afghan people, having tasted the flavor of democracy, institutionalisation, education and women’s rights to an extent, do not wish to go back; they want to move forward.
Today, Pak-Afghan relations cannot be viewed without keeping in consideration the unprecedented circumstances in the context of global politics. American dominance is shrinking gradually, firstly, because of the active role of China and Russia in international affairs and, secondly, due to the inward-looking policies of United States President Donald Trump’s administration.
China is rising in the international power game while Moscow, on the other hand, is flexing its muscles again, faced further by the threat of the ideological spill-over from Afghanistan. On the other hand, once a most trusted ally of the US, Turkey, too, is now at daggers drawn with the Trump regime while Iran continues to face extreme US hostility. All of this places Pakistan and Afghanistan in a catch-22 situation, calling for extreme caution as they, too, have to opt for options that are sustainable and fruitful. As mentioned as the top principle of APAPPS, Pakistan supports an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. Lt Gen Asif Yasin stated, with that, a regional approach including all the neighbours is the only way forward to harness peace in war-torn country.
There have been significant developments which bid well for the peace and prosperity in Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said. First, the military operations inside Pakistan have gone down to minimum, signaling a better security situation. Second, once the buffer-zone and poorly governed Federally Administered Tribal Areas has merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leaving little space for unwanted activities. Thirdly, border management and trade linkages between the two neighbours are seeing signs of improvement. Furthermore, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor can prove to be a game changer if extended to Afghanistan, leading to sustainable economic development.
Published in Daily Times, August 30th 2018.