Daily Times

Pakistani leaders and officials have reiterated their continued commitment and support for a “sovereign, democratic, united, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.”

In separate meetings with a Pak-Afghan Track 1.5/11 delegation, Senator Shibli Faraz, leader of the house in the Senate,

Sohail Mehmood, the foreign secretary, and Dr Moeed Yousuf, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division, reassured the guests to do “whatever we can to protect and promote the peace process.”

Speaking to the delegation at his parliamentary chambers, Senator Shibli Faraz, assured the Beyond Boundaries delegation of the “utmost political support the parliament ” in helping Afghans harvest dividends of the peace deal.”

Faraz, who himself also visited Kabul as part of the Beyond Boundaries dialogue in 2017, said we should all continue investing in peace and stabilisation efforts as much as we can in our individual or group capacity.

Keep singing peace and work for harmony, Faraz emphasised, because that is what both countries need. He lauded the Beyond Boundaries initiative and said every single bit of effort counts. Stability in Afghanistan is not important for Afghans only; it is equally important for us in Pakistan and the two provinces that directly border Afghanistan, he underlined.

The Afghan delegation including Fawzia Koofi, an outspoken female parliamentarian, Saleem Kundoozi, a former governor of the Ningarhar province, and Mozamil Shinwari, a former deputy commerce minister.

During the formal Beyond Boundaries dialogue the Afghan delegates voiced their concerns over the possible volatility of the US-Taliban peace deal but expect Pakistan to leverage its influence with the Taliban for preserving the democratic freedoms achieved in the last two decades. Most of them made clear that the new Afghan generation is totally opposed to the “Islamic Emirate days” ( a euphemism used for the Taliban era) and hoped Pakistan would nudge the militia into respecting the state of Afghanistan as it is today.

Pakistani officials and the civil society also explained that no one in Pakistan would like Afghanistan to return to the conditions of two decades ago.

Pakistan remains committed to the post deal Intra-Afghan dialogue, which, according to the Foreign Secretary Mehmood, represents an “historic opportunity for all key stakeholders to work for an inclusive and comprehensive way out of the current imbroglio.”

Afghan delegates were also cautioned against potential spoilers of the peace process which required a self-less approach by all leaders for the fruition of the deal.

The foreign secretary also expressed the hope that the international community would continue to support the reconciliation dialogue and stay engaged in the post-conflict problems that Afghanistan is likely to face.

“The geographical, cultural and ethnic proximity makes it even more imperative for all of us to desire peace and development in Afghanistan. what we desire for ourselves.”

“It will only be “irrational to think otherwise,” argued Dr.Yousuf, adding that people to people contacts and their promotion” is the fundamental bond between the two countries and we should all work to strengthen that bond. He urged the guests not to mistake “lack of capacity within governance structures for lack of will.” We are doing whatever we can to secure peace and development next door. That is equally important for Pakistan, was the message conveyed to the Afghan guests.