PESHAWAR - Participants of an informal event have urged the normalisation of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations and an immediate end to tensions between the neighbours.
A declaration issued at the conclusion of the two-day-long dialogue in Lahore said: “Peace and stability is the priority of both nations. Disengagement, therefore, is not desirable.”
The delegates stressed high-level exchanges must be resumed to promote dialogue at all levels to create a conducive environment for removing mistrust.
The call came days after Afghanistan joined India and other regional states to boycott the SAARC Summit that Islamabad was scheduled to host in November.
The first meeting of the second phase of ‘Beyond Boundaries’, a Track I.5/II dialogue series, was undertaken by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in partnership with its Afghan counterpart, Women Peace and Security Organisation (WPSO).
Journalists, civil society activists, former diplomats, parliamentarians, academicians, ex-members of law enforcement agencies and scholars as part of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Committee (PAJC) are part of the series.
The Afghan delegation included Sayed Ishaq Gilani, Mozammil Shinwari, Wazhma Frogh, Palwasha Hassan, Ketabullah Khpolwak Sapai and Elay Ershad. The workshop was chaired by Dr Rasul Baksh Rais.
The declaration demanded revival of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US and that it should continue to encourage the Taliban to negotiate.
It called terrorism a common concern, which continued to affect families on both sides of the border. An effective regulatory framework is needed to check movement of goods and people on both sides.
Media played a major role in shaping relations and public perceptions, participants agreed, calling for facilitation of exchanges of media persons and formulation of a shared code of conduct.
Both governments were urged to simplify visa procedures for genuine businesspeople, students and parliamentarians. “Special counters offering speedy processing should be set up in respective embassies to facilitate visas to medical tourists and disabled persons.” (Pajhwok)