Afghan political leaders and women activists on Monday opened a two-day dialogue in Islamabad to explore ways for “shaping a collective, regionally supported vision for Afghanistan’s peaceful future”, according to organisers.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have witnessed an improvement in bilateral relations after taking steps to improve ties, such as the revival of the Joint Coordination Committee and upgrading diplomatic ranks.
This is the first ever gathering of political opponents of the Afghan Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, which organisers insist is “not against the Taliban government.”
They argued that the primary aim of the moot was to “promote inclusive and constructive discussions among leaders, including men and women from diverse segments of society in Afghanistan, to develop a shared understanding and identify common principles for Afghanistan’s future stability, inclusivity, and peaceful settlement,” the organisers said in a statement.
The dialogue was previously scheduled on Aug 25-26 but was postponed, apparently over criticism by some known personalities, including Zalmay Khalilzad, the former United States special envoy. Khalilzad had termed the meeting “unwise” due to the participation of some who oppose the Taliban.
“Afghan citizens are entitled to their political views, but Pakistan’s seeming support of them by hosting their conference is hugely unwise and an intended provocation,” he wrote on X.
Former Afghan parliamentarian Fawzia Koofi opposed the remarks, saying, “Isn’t it time to let us craft what is good for us?”
The first day of the closed-door meeting was dedicated to Afghan leaders to “engage openly, exchange perspectives and define shared principles for stability, rule of law, and reaffirming the support to women’s rights and inclusion”, according to the organisers.
Dawn.com has seen a list of 37 Afghans invited to the event. They were part of the previous governments of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, including governors, ministers, lawmakers and women activists.
A participant said some of the invitees were not attending the meeting due to visa issues.
“The aim of this timely and important dialogue is to promote an inclusive dialogue among diverse groups of Afghan leaders (women and men) alongside Pakistani counterparts to foster inclusive dialogue, mutual understanding and lasting cooperation,” the organisers said.
Women for Afghanistan (WFA) and the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (Sassi) University jointly held the first Regional Dialogue titled “Towards Unity and Trust”.
Koofi, who leads WFA, lives in exile and has organised a series of meetings, mainly comprising women activists against the Taliban policies. She is one of the critics of Taliban rule. Dr Maria Sultan, a defence analyst, heads Sassi.
On the second day, on September 30th, a Joint Pak-Afghan Session will hold “focused discussions aimed at building trust, identifying common ground and advancing a people-centric approach to address regional challenges”.
The organisers, while explaining the objectives of the dialogue, say that the event is aimed at strengthening cooperation between Afghan and Pakistani leaders.
The dialogue will also promote sustainable development, stability and peace rooted in shared values and highlight the importance of women’s participation and inclusive governance. The gathering would encourage regional cooperation with a focus on economic development and trust-building, the statement added.
“The dialogue underscores a simple truth: peace between people leads to peace between nations. By prioritising dialogue, inclusivity and cooperation, WFA and SASSI University believe this initiative can pave the way for stronger, more mutually beneficial relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, grounded in unity and trust.“
In addition, the event will be helpful in fostering a deeper understanding between the people of the two nations for a more sustained development and peace in the region.
“The commonality and the importance of the dialogue and the process stems from the need that Afghans must have the space to speak, engage and think together to promote their common values and interests for their country and their people,“ it added.
The dialogue will also serve to identify common grounds for cooperation between Afghan leaders and their Pakistani counterparts on an engagement basis of developing people-centric approaches to find common solutions for regional challenges and to build trust and stability, the statement said.
“We believe that a more people-centric approach focused on economic development and regional cooperation will lead to an enhanced and meaningful relationship between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul in July, where an agreement was signed for the Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan railway project to boost regional connectivity. Later that month, Dar said Pakistan received “recent assurances” from Afghan authorities that the neighbouring country’s soil would not be used for terrorism.
Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that Kabul take action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In January, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir noted that the only point of contention between the two countries was the presence of the TTP and cross-border attacks.
