The first meeting of the Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Committee, kick starting the second phase of Beyond Boundaries, a Track I.5/II dialogue series undertaken by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in partnership with Afghan counterpart Women Peace and Security Organization (WPSO), was held at Lahore on 19 October, 2016.
To participate in the meeting of the Joint Committee, a seven member group of the Afghanistan PAJC arrived in Islamabad on 18th October, 2106. The first meet of the PAJC was held from 18 to 22 October, which included two day activities in Lahore; one day PAJC dialogue/ workshop on 19 October, university lectures for members of both PAJC groups at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), and Forman Christian College University (FCCU), meeting with the Provincial Commission on the Status of Women, and exhibition for peace organized jointly by CRSS and Artlords, on 20 October. The groups travelled back to Islamabad, where important high level government sideline meetings with Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sartaj Aziz and Federal Minister for SAFRON, Lt. Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, media interactions for selected participating members from both groups – talkshows at Mashriq TV, AAJ TV, Khyber TV, and interviews with VoA and FM Radio, were held on 21 October.
The series of dialogue brings together from both countries prominent journalists, civil society activists, former diplomats, parliamentarians, academicians, former members of law enforcement and scholars as part of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Committee (PAJC) for Beyond Boundaries phase II. The Pakistani contingent comprised Dr. Shoaib Suddle, Maj. Gen. (retd) Ejaz Awan, Lt. Gen. (retd) Asif Yasin Malik, Ambassador Mian Sanaullah, Muhammad Tahir, and MNA Shazia Marri, while the Afghan delegation comprised Sayed Ishaq Gailani, Mozammil Shinwari, Wazhma Frogh, Palwasha Hassan, Ketabullah Khpolwak Sapai, Abdul Hakeem Mujahid, and Elay Ershad. The workshop was chaired by Dr. Rasul Baksh Rais.
During the one day workshop of PAJC, an expanded commitment to peace and security in the region, the role of media in fostering this goal, border management, and refugees were the top items on the agenda.
Speaking at the session, Elay Ershad, Member of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house of parliament) said every Pakistani and Afghan one is part of a puzzle which will be complete only if all of us work together. She said that members of media and the civil society should not resonate their respective government’s positions. We should come out of that mindset and propose our own independent thinking.
Dr. Rasul Baksh Rais, eminent professor at LUMS, said that initiatives such as Beyond Boundaries are extremely important in a difficult geo-political environment and in view of the complicated bilateral relations. Governments usually lack vision, courage, and readiness for change and therefore it is the job of independent thinkers and think tanks to redirect the bilateral relationship.
Syed Ishaq Gailani, a former MP and presidential candidate, bemoaned the latest visa restrictions such as no permission for entry into Cantonment areas as well as the treatment being meted out to the Afghan refugees.
While discussing various themes of bilateral importance, the group deliberated on a list of policy recommendation for both governments, which were shared with the government Ministers.
The policy recommendations, reports from the sideline meetings, university lectures, exhibition for peace, and the media interactions are tabulated below.
