During his speech at the World Economic Forum 2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed the need to find a solution to the Afghan crisis. Many have criticized Imran Khan for not putting the Kashmir issue ahead of Afghanistan. While many schools of thought may be evident regarding these two crises, the truth is that Afghanistan continues to be a cause of disagreement for Pakistan and the US. The spillover effect of the Afghans from Afghanistan into Pakistan has been causing national security problems for Islamabad for over four decades. It is true that ever since the US and its allied forces invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, the crisis has created more monsters for Pakistan. Islamabad and Kabul do want to continue with their smooth relations but the militant insurgency has been threatening the very peace of Pakistan. This is affecting Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan. While the Kashmir issue must also be resolved and it is caused because of India’s hegemony and draconian policies, Afghanistan presents a looming threat where the spillover effect is of concern for Pakistan. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan did not clarify how Afghanistan will function once the US forces will leave the country. It is also apparent that the US will not leave Afghanistan anytime soon. For over five years ever since the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan began, Washington has been leaving behind a residual force. This force has been fighting against the country’s national security apparatus and the militants. Perhaps the US itself does not know how Afghanistan will operate once it leaves the country for good. While the Kashmir issue must also be resolved and it is caused because of India’s hegemony and draconian policies, Afghanistan presents a looming threat where the spillover effect is of concern for Pakistan While talking about Pakistan’s economic situation, Imran Khan said that his government inherited the worst economic crisis in Pakistan’s history. However, he was confident that based on the policies and practices his government has implemented there are chances for growth in 2020. “This year we are looking towards economic growth,” he told the audience. While referring to the governance he said, “Sadly our governance deteriorated in the past 30 years. That is one of the biggest reasons we have not been able to fill our potential as a country. From now on my biggest challenge is how we can improve our state institutions, so we can improve our governance, so we can tap our potential.” He also addressed the problem of climate change and pollution. He cited his government’s plan to plant 10 billion trees across the country during the next four years. He referred to pollution as a silent killer and assured that the country will tackle the climate change problem. A major part of his speech at the World Economic Forum 2020 was focused on creating regional peace and stability. He highlighted how militancy was born in Pakistan during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. “You cannot make your economy grow unless and until there is peace and stability,” he said. The Prime Minister further said that “From now onwards, Pakistan will only partner with another country in peace. We will not become part of any other conflict.” While speaking about conflicts, Imran Khan mentioned the growing escalation between the US and Iran. He said, “It will be a disaster – it will cause poverty in the world – and God knows how long it may go on. I spoke to President Trump yesterday and I told him it would be a disaster for us if this war starts. In my opinion, it will be insanity.” During his speech, which was well-appreciated by the participants and the audience, Imran Khan also talked about the youth of Pakistan. He mentioned about the program for skills development launched by the government. He said, “We have neglected this young population because we did not concentrate on skill development [and] equipping them to become entrepreneurs.” For the government, developing skills among the youth must be of the highest priority. A skilled workforce from any domain can contribute to the economy. Moreover, with the freelance fabric of Pakistan developing with each passing year, the skilled youth having knowledge, information, and expertise in digital media, website designing, SEO, content writing and computer programming, can not only earn a hefty amount but can help Pakistan gain a better footing as far as its economy is concerned. The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist