Pak-Afghan conference: ‘Improve links between institutions for better relations’

Dr Hussain emphasised on eliminating the stereotypes seeping in the midst of the people from both countries.

ISLAMABAD:

A two-day Pak-Afghan conference on peace for the region concluded at the Higher Education Commission on Sunday with an aim to foster ties and building better relations.

The conference, titled “Strengthening People to People Dialogues”, was jointly organised by Mediothek Afghanistan, the University of Peshawar, Regional Studies Centre of Afghanistan (RSCA), and Bacha Khan Trust Educational Foundation (BKTEF), with financial support from Germany.

Speakers at the conference concluded that the two countries need to improve the links between their educational, media, civil and political institutions.

Kohat University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Nasir Jamal Khattak in his inaugural address pinned down key linguistic and cultural aspects of Pashtun society, hoping that cross-border literary stimulation will strengthen relationships.

BKTEF Managing Director Dr Khadim Hussain emphasised on eliminating the stereotypes seeping in the midst of the people from both countries.

Afghanistan Embassy Cultural Attache Shams Zardasht highlighted the need for a more relaxed landing rights framework for members of the Afghan electronic media.

RSCA President Abdul Ghafoor Liwal said international assistance given to Afghanistan has not met it goals because it is politically motivated and not economically driven. Afghanistan, he said, will benefit more from a plan like the Marshall Plan, under which America helped rebuild European economies post World War II.

Former Afghan parliamentarian and member civil society coordination centre Malalai Gul Shinwari avowed to form mutual women chapters across both countries. She said several girls are in both countries have become victims of obscurantist forces in the past three decades.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2012.