ISLAMABAD: The participants of the second Pakistan-Afghanistan Civil Society Conference on Exploring Approaches for Regional Peace and Stability discussed the need for a joint strategy to counter proxy terrorist organisations.

According to a press release, the participants at the conference organised by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in collaboration with its Afghan partner, the Organisation for Economic Studies and Peace (OESP), emphasised the importance of addressing security threats posed by groups like Al-Qaeda, TTP, and IS to the entire region.

While acknowledging the tension in Chitral as a serious security challenge, the forum recognised the need to understand the mentalities of these extremist groups to be able to cope with them and encouraged diplomatic engagement to resolve issues instead of media allegations and blame games.

The dialogue brought together prominent civil society stakeholders from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss pressing issues and potential approaches oriented towards solutions. Despite ongoing border closures, the dialogue demonstrated a commitment to cooperation and moving in the right direction.

It was agreed that only through a collective approach and joint strategy can Pakistan and Afghanistan eliminate the threats jeopardising regional security and foster economic cooperation and connectivity. In the interest of trade and people-to-people relationships between Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as the region at large, socio-economic life should be insulated from political disputes.

Moreover, it was discussed that while the informal actors of diplomacy may not have the mandate to solve problems of bilateral or regional concern, they can still generate actionable recommendations and develop joint proposals necessary to inform the policy actors inside the formal channels of diplomacy and reach a solution.

The issue of Afghan girls’ education was also discussed and it was agreed that the issue must not be left to chance but must be the subject of conscious efforts to change the status quo.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023