Friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan are the way forward for regional stability and Peace

PILDAT

Kabul, May 30; Friendship and Deep Relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan are the way forward for regional stability and Peace, said Mr. Hamid Karzai while what he termed as ‘very warm welcome’ to Pakistani Parliamentarians who called on him today upon the conclusion of the 5th round of Pak-Afghan Parliamentarians Dialogue in Kabul, facilitated by PILDAT. Please take a message of deepest love from Afghanistan to Pakistan, said Mr. Karzai.

Parliamentarians of Pakistan joined their Afghan counterparts in Kabul for a two-day dialogue, May 29-30, 2011, that focussed on counter-terrorism strategies for the two countries.

Pakistani MPs, who appreciated the welcome and hospitality of President Karzai, said that the Parliament of Pakistan, reflecting all political shades in Pakistan, stands firmly behind strengthening of ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They said that only through people-to-people dialogue can the two countries move forward on removing mistrust and cultivate and enhance the deepest ties between the two countries.

Pakistani delegation included Honourable Senator Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, Deputy Chairman Senate of Pakistan and Honourable Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan; Honourable Senator Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, PML; Honourable Senator Fauzia Fakhar-uz-Zaman, PML; Honourable Senator Najma Hameed, PML-N; Honourable Senator Mrs. Saeeda Iqbal, PPPP; Honourable Senator Afrasiab Khattak, ANP, Honourable Senator Dr. Abdul Malik, Honourable Malik Amad Khan, PPPP; Honourable Dr. Muhammad Ayub Shaikh, MQM, Honourable Mr. Nadeem Afzal Gondal, PPPP; Honourable Mr. Pervaiz Khan, Advocate, ANP; Honourable Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi, PML-N; Honourable Mr. Humayon Saifullah Khan, PML; Honourable Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, PML, Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director PILDAT, Ms. Aasiya Riaz, Joint Director PILDAT, Mr. Hmmal Dostain and Mr. Mamoon Bilal, Project Managers of PILDAT.

Pakistani MPs shared with President Karzai details of the comprehensive round of dialogue and candid interaction that took place in two days. President Karzai was also presented with a copy of the Joint Resolution agreed to by the Parliamentarians of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the text of which is given below:

“The Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentarians’ Dialogue 5th round took place in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 29-30, 2011 on the overarching theme of terrorism. The Parliamentarians of the two countries held a candid dialogue while recognizing that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are victims of terrorism and joint efforts are needed to address this scourge.

Both sides agreed that while blame game is counter-productive and not a solution to this affliction, it is Parliamentary dialogue and Parliamentary support and oversight over executive in both countries for mutual cooperation on areas such as intelligence sharing, improved coordination on Counter-Terrorism Operations, install effective control on growth and supply of drugs fuelling terrorist-financing and terrorism in the region, and enhancing border security management that will help the two countries and the region rid itself of terrorism. They also believed that central banks of both Pakistan and Afghanistan should follow recommendations of Basel Committee III on supervision of Banks especially on Money Laundering and Terrorist financing.

Parliamentarians of the two countries agreed that the representative institutions of two countries should adopt a people-oriented approach to resolving bilateral issues and exercise greater control and oversight on key national policies including that of internal and external security and pursue independent national foreign policies that do not work at cross-purposes of each other. Parliamentarians believed that while remaining part of tripartite cooperation in the area of security, Pakistan and Afghanistan should also develop bilateral cooperation between the Armed Forces and Security Agencies of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Parliamentarians agreed that the two countries should institute, and effectively exercise, mechanisms to carry out due diligence of NGO funding in both countries and stress on international donors to help the two countries build indigenous and sustainable capabilities and facilities.

The Parliamentarians also agreed that visa free regime between Parliamentarians of two countries should be implemented immediately. Greater cooperation is needed in both countries, through support from each Parliament, on overseeing liberal visa policies, facilitating and enhancing communication networks including roads, rail and air travel, telephony and trade. Parliamentarians from two neighbouring countries also decided to support greater media interaction and exchange, both print and electronic, between the two countries by urging and facilitating both governments and independent media networks to operate in each other’s country. They also urged that Pakistani and Afghan investors and business persons should get reciprocal incentives in each country to strengthen business and trade.

The two sides also agreed that greater facilitation, support and opportunities need to be provided to Afghan students to study in Pakistan through scholarships, skill-enhancement and capacity-building programmes. Youth and Cultural Exchanges should be facilitated between the two countries and cricket should be promoted as a way of enhancing better people to people contact.

Parliamentarians believe that early return of Afghan refugees in Pakistan to Afghanistan with dignity and honour should be facilitated by both countries, and assisted by the United Nations. Moreover the two countries should sign a treaty of extradition of criminals on both sides, as well as set-up a Commission on Prisoners that could facilitate exchange of those prisoners who have not committed heinous crimes.

Parliamentarians also stressed that Parliaments of the two countries should work to remove trust deficit in the areas that strain the relationship between two brotherly countries. They agreed that the Parliaments of two countries should nudge and support their respective executive branches to enter into negotiations and in the future draft treaties on upcoming issues of interest to both countries that, once put in place, should be ratified by the two Parliaments.

The two sides agreed on the need for a follow up mechanism, appreciating the role of PILDAT that serves as a focal point and continues to provide support and assistance to the dialogue process. Dialogue is important for the two countries to achieve their potential and it was decided that institutionalisation and continuation of the dialogue will be facilitated which will periodically provide a forum to representatives of the two countries to take stock of their resolutions and decisions agreed to and recorded through joint declarations and dialogue proceedings.

Parliamentarians of Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed, upon conclusion of the dialogue, to move content of the joint declaration in the form of resolutions in respective Parliaments for adoption and follow up with the respective Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

The delegation also called on Honourable Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani, Chairman High Peace Council and interacted in detail on areas where the two countries can cooperate in bringing regional peace.

The dialogue is a continuation of PILDAT’s commitment to strengthening Parliamentary ties and relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Earlier, four joint workshops of Pakistani and Afghani Parliamentarians have been facilitated by PILDAT since 2008. The broad objective behind the initiative has been to facilitate Parliaments of the two countries to develop a relationship based on greater interaction and dialogue with each other on bilateral and regional relations and issues of mutual interest.

Pakistan wants to assist Afghanistan in reconstruction efforts: FM

APP

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said that Pakistan wanted to assist Afghanistan in capacity building and reconstruction efforts, including through the involvement of Pakistan’s private sector. In this regard, he said Pakistan was willing to continue working with the international community and remain engaged with Afghanistan.

He was speaking as Chief Guest at a dinner hosted by the Spanish Ambassador Gonzalo Maria Quintero Saravia here today. The Spanish Ambassador hosted the dinner in Spain’s capacity as the current President of the rotating Presidency of the EU.

Obama deflects criticism of Pakistan

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that his administration was working with both Pakistan and Afghanistan to break down some of their old suspicions and bad habits.

At a White House news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the US president also indicated that Pakistan dominated at least part of his almost three-hour long consultations with the Afghan leader and his team. -Photo by AP

At a White House news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the US president also indicated that Pakistan dominated at least part of his almost three-hour long consultations with the Afghan leader and his team.

Towards Pak-Afghan Harmonization

Lt. Col Dr. Muhammad Khan

“No country has ever showed more hospitality to Afghanistan than Pakistan, and that his country (Afghanistan) would not allow its soil to be used against Pakistan.” These were the wordings of the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai during the joint press conference between him and Pakistani Premier, Yousaf Raza Gillani on the conclusion of a daylong visit of the former to Pakistan on March 11, 2010. Earlier both countries agreed for a joint fight against the terrorism and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the augmentation of bilateral relationship. Declaring Pakistan and Afghanistan as the “twin brothers,” President Karzai further said that the “destiny, grieves and happiness of both the countries are shared.” On this occasion, Prime Minister Gilani assured the visiting President that, “We want to take the strategic partnership with Afghanistan forward.” Moreover, Pakistan would enhance its cooperation with Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorism, and bilateral ties between the two countries would be further enhanced.

The resilience shown by either side is being envisioned as the glimmer of hope for the beginning of a new chapter in the bilateral relationship of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Unfortunately, the history of Pak-Afghan relationship is an account of uneven correlation. There has hardly been a period of good will and cooperation between these two brotherly Muslim countries, linking various regions and civilizations of Asia. Why there has been a gulf in their mutual relationship, who has been playing in-between, and how long would it continue, is indeed a fruit for thought for over 200 million people of both countries? The significant factor, which has to be kept in mind, is that, after all, they have to live together, since neighbours cannot be changed.

The buoyant joint statement of the two leaders indeed, is reflective of the lessons they learnt during their prolonged uncooperative history, especially after the incident of 9/11. In this regards, Pakistani efforts at various tiers has played a vital role. The Afghan Government has now realized the significance of incessant Pakistani pursuance for the CBMs and emphasis for the adoption of a collective fight against the terrorism. Pakistan has always been critical to the role of extra-regional powers in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and in the bilateral relationship of Pakistan and Afghanistan. So much so the US and NATO countries, with whom, Pakistan is playing the role of a frontline state and as a partner in the global war on terror has been suspicion of the Pakistani role.

During the meeting of the NATO’s Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Staff (CHODs) held in Brussels on January 26-27, 2010, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, adequately highlighted the role played by Pakistan in the war on terror. Indeed, Pakistan lost over twenty five thousand lives during last nine years, since the beginning of this war. The casualties of security forces of Pakistan are much more than what the coalition and Afghans forces have collectively suffered in these years. General Kayani’s presentation on the Pakistan’s contribution indeed, removed the misperception of the NATO countries about the Pakistani role in the global war on terror. Thereafter, the Western world has changed its perception about the Pakistani role and vision.

Sequel to this meeting General Kayani, briefed the foreign and domestic press about the outcome of the meeting in Rawalpindi. During the course of the meeting, he categorically said that, “We cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that we don’t wish for Pakistan.” Since Pakistanis desire peace, stability, and economic prosperity for their country, therefore, they ought to wish similar comforts for their brethrens of Afghanistan. Furthermore, three decades of war, factional fighting, and the internal instability in Afghanistan has brought us to the conclusion that, stability and peace in Pakistan is directly proportional to these factors in Afghanistan. Indeed, the statement of Chief of Army Staff was the factor compelled Afghan President to say that, “the destiny, grieves and happiness of both the countries are shared.”

In the aftermath of US invasion of Afghanistan, India, a noncontiguous country, intruded in Afghanistan in a big way. Initially it assumed the responsibility of reconstruction of infrastructure of Afghanistan, but subsequently, it took over the responsibilities of other projects in that country. So much so, that Indian Army was given the responsibility to undertake the training of Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan secret services and Afghan National Police (ANP). Besides, the Indian training teams, training Afghans on their soil, over 100 Afghan senior defence officials are being trained every year in India’s military institutions. It is worth mentioning that a huge number of the Indian army officers and lower ranks have been especially deputed to teach basic military field-crafts and English-language skills to personnel of ANA. Afghan police officers and foreign ministry officials have also attended training courses in India. Afghanistan is getting Indian help in the training of Afghan pilots and technicians for using its helicopter-gunships.

Afghan education system is yet another area where India has been given a key role to play. Now it is to the imagination of the Afghan people to know, as what would be the ethical condition of its future generation after having gone through the Indian founded educational system and training of its security setup (ANA, ANP and spying agency). Pakistan feels that Indian trained ANA and ANP will be on the warpath to all its neighbours, mainly Muslim countries, and People’s Republics of China. Apart from its geographically contagious neighbours, these Indian trained troops will be in conflict with basic Muslim cultural and social setup of that country even. Besides, promoting internal clashes, these troops will maintain the current state of volatility, distrust, and hostility with Pakistan. Indeed India and Afghanistan are two different countries, with different values, culture, and different future requirements. Therefore, the Indian trained ANA would further destabilize the region as a whole. This state of affairs would neither suit coalition nor to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In order to save Afghanistan from the lukewarm effects of these factors, General Kayani offered Afghan Government for the assistance in the training of ANA and ANP. Indeed, this step would greatly reduce the current instability and hostilities along the Pak-Afghan border by promoting harmony among the security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan, as both countries share common terrain and borders to defend. Moreover, they have the similar cultural and historical values and milieus and ideological harmony. This is only possible once there are common trainers having corresponding training parameters for both armies. In fact, Afghans should not forget the experience of getting their Army trained from the former Soviet Union in 1970s. The result of the Soviet trained troops, teachers, doctors, other officials, and even politicians brought them in clash with the traditional Afghan society in late 1970s. That clash of ideas finally led to the Soviet invasion. Afghan society had enough of that, in the form of thirty years factional fighting, foreign invasions, and internal strife. Do they still want Russian like Indian invasion? Afghan should question themselves and later from their Indian friends too, that, why they (Indians) are so much concerned about Afghan people. Why should they forget the Indian role during Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980s? Being part of the Communist camp, India fully supported the Soviet Union globally as well as regionally and considered the invasion as justified.

Indeed, through the offer for the training of ANA and ANP, Pakistan envisions to bring the stability in the Afghanistan in the first phase and stabilization of the whole region thereafter. Besides, the offer would help in the implementation of the President Obama’s recently conceived “exit strategy” from Afghanistan, largely by paving way for the gradual restitution of peace in the region. The vision behind the offer is that “We cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that we don’t wish for Pakistan.” What all Pakistan wish for is a peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan. If visualized precisely, the Coalition forces and Afghan administration should be very happy on this offer, as it would surely lessen the ceaseless fighting in Afghanistan in the near future. Did not successful Pakistani military operations during 2009, help in lessening the militancy in Afghanistan, by constricting space for the terrorists. This evidence indeed should become a lead point for the materialization of the Pakistani offer of the training to ANA and ANP. This indeed would be a “win-win for Afghanistan, the United States, ISAF, and Pakistan.”

Besides, sharing common values, culture, and comparable stakes, both countries have a history of interdependence. Foreign interferences, influences, and imperialism cannot force the people to think differently. Pakistan visualizes a peaceful, stable, and economically affluent Afghanistan. It also wishes the Afghanistan freed from the foreign interferences and forays with an ethnically cohesive society. The wish for a stable Afghanistan is the collective voice of 170 million people of Pakistan. They can no more see their Afghan Brethren in a state of melancholy. The visionary offer of the Pakistani Army Chief for the training of ANA and ANP has the backing from the whole nation. Indeed, they stood behind Pakistan Army in curbing the militancy from Pakistan and have the enduring desire of peace and stability in both countries. The vision behind the offer indeed is a sincere endeavour to save Afghanistan from another debacle or colonialism.

Pakistan key for global stability: Erdogan

* Turkish PM assures Pakistan of full support in overcoming problems
* Pakistan, Turkey can solve region’s issues
* All countries must fulfil pledges made at Tokyo donors’ conference

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured Pakistanis on Monday that the people of Turkey support them in their campaign against terrorism and extremism, and said his country has always called for redressing issues confronting Pakistan, as “it is a key country for regional and global stability”.

Addressing a joint sitting of parliament – where he was warmly greeted by members of the Upper and Lower Houses – the Turkish prime minister vowed to closely work with Pakistan to overcome problems and bring peace and stability to the region.

Erdogan said Pakistan was a key country at the juncture of South, Central and West Asia. He said he was confident that the country would prevail in its struggle against terrorism, “which is an enemy of humanity”. He said that Pakistan was not alone in the campaign against terrorism and extremism, as the people and government of Turkey stood by the people of Pakistan and were ready to help Pakistan address its needs.

Erdogan called on other countries to fulfil commitments made at a donors’ conference in Tokyo earlier this year.

The prime minister said Turkey and Pakistan were two “strong states”, and by “further strengthening our cooperation … we can overcome the problems being faced by the region”.

He said both countries would try to improve economic and trade ties, and increase trade volume to $2 billion by the end of 2012.

He also praised Pakistani efforts to solve the Afghan problem and strengthen Pak-Afghan relations in collaboration with Turkey.