A two-day conference on 'Pakistan-Afghanistan: Towards Mutual Security, Stability and Trade' culminated with a wake-up call urging both the countries to realise and utilise window of opportunity for social and economic change to achieve peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan is the only country in the world that can make the phrase 'landlocked', irrelevant with respect to Afghanistan, was the argument that came from Afghan side in the backdrop of recently inked Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement.
Reciprocating the Afghan thinking, Pakistani side noted Kabul had offered 11 corridors to Islamabad to reach central Asian states in its response of opening three ports for Kabul.
Even though there is an agreement on both sides to boost socio-economic activates, implementation was identified an issue of concern which the both the sides hoped will be sorted out. Organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), speakers at the conference, not only presented justification for their tainted relations in the past, but also underlined the need to move forward and forget the past.
The participants recommended for enhancing the cross border economic opportunities, more interaction between the two civil societies, better border management, ratification of Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, liberalisation of visa regimes, more educational and cultural contacts and harmonising the tariffs in order to curb informal trade between two countries.
Earlier in the day, Abdul Hamid Mobares, President of the Afghan National Journalists Union had candidly pointed out trust deficit on both sides of the border. He said, 'there is no confidence between the two countries and Pakistan particularly doubts Afghanistan-India relations'.
He talked about historical developments of economic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, noting positive changes in these relations in recent days and urged politicians from both sides of the border to work for a solution acceptable for both the sides as he referred to Germany-France model of reconciliation for the purpose.
He noted peace of both countries linked to each other, requiring that Pakistan and Afghanistan developed co-operative ties in order to overcome the regional security threats. Himayat Ullah Khan, Senior Joint Secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce spoke on 'Role of Neighbours Especially with Common Borders: Prospects and Problems.'
While talking about Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, he termed the international pressure for the agreement a misconception saying Islamabad had taken a decision way back in 2006 in this direction. He informed the participants that trade between two countries had reached to $1.5 billion, which stood at $117 million in 2000-01. He said that our leadership had decided to take bilateral trade up to $5 billion by 2015 keeping in view the progressive increase in the last five years.
Daood Moosa, Senior Advisor Afghan Ministry of Commerce, who shared his thoughts on recent developments in bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan, emphasising the need to deal with the top most challenge confronting bilateral trade ie smuggling.
He said both countries needed to make relevant investments in each other's countries so that before US or Indian or other companies take the lead, Pakistan and Afghanistan can reap the benefits of the opportunities which are up for grab.
However, Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq did not agree with the theory that Pakistan should engage with Afghanistan before anyone else take the lead and reap the advantage. He said neither we nor any international player should engage with Afghanistan only to reap the benefit. He advocated the proposal of removing visa requirement for citizens of both the countries and underlined the need to improve border control.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman/Director General Institute of Strategic Studies, former Ambassador Tanvir Ahmad Khan said Pakistan's civil and military leadership were absolutely committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan. Former Ambassador Ross Masood Husain and Dr Babak Khatalbari, the Resident Representative of KAS also addressed the concluding session.
The participants of the conference was a core group of approximately 60 people from Afghanistan including parliamentarians, academics and the media and an equal number of participants from Pakistan. The Afghan delegation was headed by the Presidential Advisor on Home Security and Vice Chair D&R Commission, Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai.