‘Pakistan’s role inevitable for peace in Afghanistan’

This was the consensus among scholars at a conference on Wednesday, who said that peace in the region was not possible without a stable partnership between the neighbours, said a press release.

The conference on “Future of Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations” was held by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), during which scholars reflected on the challenges, opportunities and prospects of Pak-Afghan relations after the United State’s exit from Afghanistan.

Eminent scholar Lutfur Rehman said disagreement on the Durand Line is a major dilemma in the relationship, which cannot be normalised until the issue is resolved.

Dr Tahir Amin of Quaid-i-Azam University said Pakistan’s access to the central Asian states is being negatively affected due to the unstable relationship.


According to Amin, the biggest mistake of the US is the exclusion of Pakhtuns, the biggest ethnic group in Afghanistan, in the state set up. “Inclusion of all ethnic groups in the consensus process is pertinent, while limited Indian involvement in Afghanistan would be  cardinal for Pakistan,” he remarked.

He said Pakistan should learn from its mistakes and adopt a “broad approach” to seek global and regional consensus on Afghan policy.

Fazlur Rehman of the Institute of Strategic Studies said strong trilateral relations between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan can be useful to strengthen economic ties among the three states.

Former ambassador Ayaz Wazir noted that the lack of clear cut policy towards the Afghan war is a crucial issue. “Pakistan and Iran are important strategic countries and can play a vital role in resolving the problem between Afghanistan, Taliban and Pakistan together,” he suggested.

IPRI Acting President Dr Maqsudul Hasan Nuri said the civil war in Afghanistan may continue due to uncertain circumstances. He said both Pakistan and the US have made mistakes and it is time to fix their strategies.

He suggested using soft power in Afghanistan, adding that no Indian military footprints should be allowed in the country.

“An economically stable Afghanistan will benefit not only Pakistan but the entire region,” he commented.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2012.