ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani (retired) on Thursday said that there are no governing spaces for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Pakistan and it is determined to neutralise any threat.
Speaking at an international conference on “Navigating Peace & Security in the Region & Beyond: Pakistan’s Role,” he said that at the moment security issues in Pakistan are feeding into the prevailing economic woes. However, despite challenges on multiple fronts Pakistan is sustaining the pace against terrorism and moving ahead with resilience and resolve, he said.
The two-day conference is being organised by the Centre for Afghanistan Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
In his address to the conference, Durrani stated that Pakistan is at the crossroads of three major regions – South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East - this geographical setting has added to the challenges for Pakistan including its relations with India, and the changing dynamics in Afghanistan.
He added that Pakistan’s role becomes pivotal, adding that Pakistan being at the front lines of the US war on terror paid a tremendous cost in terms of lives – a cost completely ignored by the international community.
While talking about the regional dynamics in South Asia and the geographical setting of Pakistan, he stated that due to perennial tensions with India, difficult relations with Afghanistan and sanctions on Iran, trade in the region has remained a victim.
About relations with Afghanistan, he stated that Pakistan and Afghanistan enjoy a symbiotic relationship and despite difficult patches in the relationship both the countries have stood strong together on various issues in the past.
“It is important for the international community and the world to not ignore and understand the current dispensation of power in Afghanistan and work on reconciliation steps. However, the most pivotal point is for the Afghans to understand that the key to the stability of Afghanistan is with them. Unless they do not bring normalcy to Afghanistan no outsider including Pakistan can do much,” he asserted.
Dr Andrew Wilder, Vice President of Asia Centre, USIP, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood (retired), Director General, ISSI and caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi also spoke on the occasion.
In his address, Solangi said that Pakistan intends to move forward by developing itself as a progressive and democratic nation that desires peace within its frontiers and across the world.
He said that the government has a clear vision to focus on its people, and economic revival and it has recently taken several initiatives to bolster the economy and explore new prospects for trade and investment.
He said the countries and political leadership did make mistakes in the past and Pakistan also had its share of mistakes.
“But now we want to move on,” he added.
He said that it was in Pakistan’s interest to avoid the ongoing confrontation between major world powers, adding that Pakistan has some lessons from its role with regard to the confrontation of major powers in the past.
He said that now Pakistan is desirous of establishing good relations with its neighbours including India and Afghanistan, adding that the country already enjoys good relations with China, Iran, and Middle Eastern countries.
“Now, we are focusing to further improve economic and trade ties with the oil-rich states,” he added.
About relations with Afghanistan, he stated that Pakistan also wanted to have pragmatic relations with Afghanistan and there have been no positive outcomes so far despite Pakistan’s sincere efforts to improve ties with the neighbouring country.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood (retired), while expressing his views, elucidated that the world is currently facing an unprecedented level of fragility, polarisation and conflict risks.
He added that various security threats, including traditional and non-traditional, have increased global volatility and concerns about nuclear conflict are heightened, as symbolised by the “Doomsday Clock” being set at 90 seconds to midnight.
He stated that the world is currently marred by major challenges including major-power competition, ongoing wars, terrorism, the pandemic’s effects, economic downturn, and climate change. He added that the outcome of these transformations is uncertain, with ongoing debates about the decline of the West, globalisation’s fate, and the potential for a new Cold War.
He pointed out that there is a shift in global power to the East, a growing desire for multi-polarity, and a trend toward issue-based coalitions; while a semblance of stability and predictability are sought after by many nations.
On the regional challenges, he stated that in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, security threats persist, but a significant shift is observed in the Middle East.
Dr Andrew Wilder, Vice President of Asia Centre, USIP, in his remarks, stated that a lot of time is spent on focusing and prioritising security over peace. The world is going through rapidly changing and worrying times with many serious threats and challenges with weak and fractured multilateral systems. The world is still reeling from the lingering effects of the Covid pandemic, the Russia and Ukraine crisis, growing tensions between China and the US, and the existential threats posed by climate change.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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