An Islamabad Research Institute organizes Afghan leaders and women’s activists this week to discuss regional peace and stability, organizers said Monday.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have witnessed an improvement in bilateral relations after taking measures to improve ties, such as the Renaissance of the Joint Coordination Committee and the improvement of diplomatic ranks.
The University of the Institute of Strategic Stability of South Asia (Sassi) will organize the dialogue on August 25 and 26, according to Dr. Maria Sultan, president of thought and general director.
While both neighboring countries have celebrated bilateral commitments at the governmental level, this will be the first dialogue of this type of Pak-Faghano from the Kabul Taliban acquisition in 2021.
Some Afghan and media television channels led by Afghan journalists in exile argued that Pakistan has invited anti-Taliban leaders. However, the president of the University of Sassi denied that the dialogue be against the Taliban or other Afghan political parties.
Sultan said: “The main objective is to discuss peace and stability. This will also provide an opportunity for Afghanos to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and adopt a joint position.”
The two -day conference will be a closed door event, which will also mark the beginning of the Islamabad process, according to Sultan. To a question, she said that the Taliban and other political parties have not been invited, but they would be in future meetings.
The former special representative of the United States for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad described the “reckless” meeting due to the participation of some who oppose the Taliban. “Afghan citizens are entitled to their political views, but Pakistan’s apparent support when organizing their conference is very reckless and an expected provocation,” he wrote in X.
However, Afghan leaders criticized Khalilzad for opposing the meeting to discuss the situation in their country.
Former Afghan parliamentary Fawzia Koofi, who confirmed to Dawn.com The fact that he has been invited to dialogue, said: “The commitment to regional countries is key to influence the situation in Afghanistan.
“If regional countries, including Pakistan, are willing to provide a space for this dialogue, this should be welcome as a positive step to generate trust among people in both countries.”
Responding to Khalilzad’s comments, he said: “Some former diplomats oppose; is it because they want to be the Arctic of our country’s destiny forever? Isn’t it time to let us elaborate what is good for us?”
Koofi also said women’s groups, as well as the representatives of political and civil society, they must be able to meet and discuss the future of their country and their women.
“Women and girls in my country are supporting one of the most repressive realities of the world today. We must collectively support any initiative that leads to a peaceful settlement and restore women’s rights in Afghanistan,” Koofi emphasized.
Sultan evaded questions about Khalilzad’s comments, but stressed that the former envoy had led the United States in conversations with the Taliban in Qatar, but now opposes a meeting of Afghan to discuss the future of his country.
“The meeting would be Afghan property and will attend several segments of society,” he said, adding that a meeting should not be a concern for anyone.
Said Ambassador Asif Khan Durrani, former special Islamabad representative for Kabul Dawn.com that Pakistan should not take sides about Afghanistan’s affairs.
“If it is an academic exercise, then it is fine. The purpose must be to evaluate the general political scenario in Afghanistan without taking parts. Since it is an open event, the public must know their findings,” said Ambassador Durrani.
When asked about the impression that Pakistan will be the host of anti-taliban leaders, he said: “With regard to the Anti-Taliba composition, then the Tehreek-I-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are anti-pakistan and enjoy the hospitality of the Afghan Talibanes. Then, any objection to the previous lines has not been touched.”
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, visited Kabul in July, where an agreement was signed for the Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan railroad project to boost regional connectivity. Later that month, said that Pakistan received “recent guarantees” from the Afghan authorities that the land of the neighboring country would not be used for terrorism.
Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that Kabul takes measures against the prohibited TTP. In January, the head of the Army staff, also Munir, said that the only dispute point between the two countries was the presence of TTP and cross -border attacks.
