ISLAMABAD: A Pak-Afghan Track 1.5 dialogue ‘Beyond boundaries’ opened here on Monday with calls for improved relations between the two neighbours that are facing renewed frictions in their ties.

The dialogue involving civil society, youth and government officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan has been hosted by Islamabad-based Centre of Research and Security Studies (CRSS) and its Afghan counterpart, Duran Research and Analysis (DRA), for helping the two neighbours improve their relations and ultimately promote peace, security and regional prosperity.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul improved last year following the change in the Afghan presidency and the two cooperated in the start of reconciliation process with the Afghan Taliban. But the ties suffered a major setback after the breakdown of talks with the militants and the increase in violence in the war ravaged Afghanistan. The two countries suffer from a deep mutual mistrust.

Inaugurating the dialogue, Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir urged both the sides to carefully deliberate on the bitter narratives.

“We need to jettison the bilateral relationship from hostility and mistrust. Mistrust is the issue and I felt it when I personally visited Kabul,” he said.

Mr Dastagir said he had asked the prime minister to develop closer relations between the cabinets of the two countries.

“It is also critically important to bring together media people from both the countries to help improve the perceptions on each other,” he added.

British High Commissioner Philip Barton also stressed the importance of better relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Healthy relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are vital for stability, security and prosperity of the two countries, the region and the world,” he observed. 

Peace processes, he cautioned, are never easy.

“But in the end, dialogue is the only route to peace,” he said.

Afghan envoy Janan Mosazai said both the countries were vital for each other and that commonalities between them should be used to bring them closer.

Despite the prevailing pessimism, Mr Mosazai looked hopeful that the two countries would be able to overcome the bad patch in their ties.

“I am confident personally that the natural affinity that exists between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan will ultimately rescue the relationship, will ultimately underpin a special relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.

“We believe that the civil society in Pakistan and the civil society in Afghanistan can become extremely substantial, extremely important stakeholders in the state-to-state and in the country-to-country cooperation and ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Mr Mosazai said.

Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies, said: “Recognising ground realities governing relations between the two countries can help the peace talks.”

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2015