Veteran journalist and news director of the Associated press For Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kathy Gannon said Friday that the presence of several militant groups in the Afghan soil raised a significant challenge for regional security.
Speaking in an event entitled “Geopolitical changes and security challenges: Pakistan, Afghanistan and the regional power game” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in Islamabad, who in 2014 was attacked and injured while informed Afghanistan, said: “However,” while they did not want all militant groups in their territory or. “
According to a press release, Gannon emphasized the importance of restoring confidence between Pakistan and Afghanistan, appreciating recent positive developments in relations between the two neighbors. She said that “Pakistan could better influence the Afghan government when treating it as an equal and a partner in the search for its regional objectives.”
“He also urged Islamabad to take measures against all terrorist groups through a long -term concerted strategy to address their internal security challenges,” said the press release.
Gannon said Afghanistan was still relevant for US policy formulators “due to the growing Chinese influence in the country and its mineral wealth.”
The former special representative of Pakistan for the Ambassador of Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, referred to Pakistan and Afghanistan as twin brothers who had come to the help increasingly needed the state of their relationship at that time.
“He received the improvement of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the inclusion of Afghanistan in the Chinese-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) as positive developments,” said the press release.
Durrani said that in the recent high -level trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China, the three countries had agreed to oppose terrorism, carry out the application of the law and security cooperation, remain attentive to external interference in the internal affairs of regional countries and regional peace and regional safety of Safeguard.
It was of the opinion that there had been a decrease in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since positive development in diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to the press release.
“The IRS ambassador, Jauhar Salem, said that despite the challenges, regional geopolitics and mutual interests had continually pushed both countries to participate and participate again in several levels,” said the press release.
Salem added that recent developments pointed to a more constructive phase in bilateral commitment and expressed their hope that trilateral dialogue between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China recently remained in Beijing would strengthen regional cooperation in anti -terrorism, stability and economic integration.
“Aarish Khan, head of the Afghanistan program at the IRS, said that, although the Taliban had not accessed the demands of the international community on political inclusion, education of women and individual freedoms, they were still making good progress in the improvement of diplomatic relations not only with important capitals such as Beijing, Moscow and Islamabad, but also demonstrated by the UN.
Khan said that the Afghan interim government had taken concrete measures against TTP in the recent past.
The Ambassador to open Hussain, the former Pakistan ambassador to Afghanistan, also argued that Islamabad’s highest priority in Afghanistan was to promote peace and stability despite any government in the power of the country.
Last month, Pakistan announced its elevation of diplomatic representation in Afghanistan from the position of matters to the level of ambassadors such as bilateral ties “move in a positive trajectory.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to improve their diplomatic relations exchanging sent, a key step to normalize ties after years of tense relations between Islamabad and the Taliban administration in Kabul.
The ties between the two neighboring countries had become agrious due to the frequent border and Islamabad skirmishes repeatedly demanding that Kabul takes measures against the forbidden Tehreek-I-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for using the Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan. Kabul has denied accusations.
The recent understanding was achieved during an informal trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan in Beijing earlier this month. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in the Chinese capital.
