Af-Pak youth dialogue: Closer people-to-people contact needed

Participants also call upon the two govts to stop blame game

ISLAMABAD: A youth delegation from Afghanistan made strong pitch on Sunday for closer people-to-people contacts, touting it as the best way to clear some misconceptions among the younger generation of the two neighbouring countries.

“There is a misconception that there is a bomb blast in Afghanistan every day, but when [youth diplomats] visit for even a week, their mind get changed,” said Atefa Ibrahimi, 20, who is among participants of an Afghan-Pakistan Youth Dialogue held in the federal capital on Sunday.

Interacting with her Pakistani peers, she said, it has been a pleasant experience. The same can also lend them an understanding of the social, political and economic dynamics of Afghanistan, she added.

The civic and youth activist from Kabul, who is in Pakistan for a second time, seems to have a positive outlook for coordination between the youths from both the countries in yielding a more peaceful and prosperous future.

The youth dialogue has been organised by Pakistan Education and Development Foundation – a training and advocacy organisation committed to the values of peace, non-violence, human rights and democracy.

The dialogue particularly focused on the young generation of Afghanistan, which has grown under a perception of Pakistan being an enemy.



Meanwhile, others in the delegation are visiting the country for the first time.

Social entrepreneur and activist from Kabul Shakib Mohsanyar, 23, alluded to the blame game between the two governments regarding terrorism.

In Pakistan, Mohsanyar got an opportunity to meet a diversity of individuals, share his concerns and ask questions for bringing peace and security to both the countries.

Bismillah Pashtoonmaal, a civil society activist and working journalist, from Zabul, said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan were suffering from the war alike.

Speaking about some commonly-held stereotypes about Afghanistan, he said: “Most of the people in the West think of us as terrorists. From a population of around 30 million in Afghanistan, a few thousands will be in war and all of them are not from Afghanistan.”

Pashtoonmaal dubbed bad government policies for dividing the two nations. “There is foreign interference, the agenda of the superpowers of the world, who are playing games in the area.”

Bilquis Irfan, a college student from Kandahar, finds scholarships, dialogue and sports are steps to break the ice between the youth of both countries. “We have fought and seen that there is no benefit of war,” she said.

As part of their stay, the Afghan delegation will also meet representatives from civil society, parliamentarians, diplomats and youth and learn about Pakistan and its perspective.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2015.