12, March, 2020 – Islamabad
In continuation of the CRSS-OESP Pak-Afghan Track 1.5/II initiative Beyond Boundaries, the Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Committee held a bilateral dialogue on March 12, 2020, in Islamabad. The discussions centered around the recent US-Taliban peace-deal, the intra-Afghan dialogue between Taliban and Afghan leadership, cooperation on health, education, trade, people-to-people relations, economic cooperation, bilateral and regional connectivity, and peace and security.
The PAJC groups jointly recommended to the two governments:
- POLTICAL AND SECURITY COOPERATION
- Peace process:
- Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan should work towards reconciliation in Afghanistan to sustain a democratic, peaceful, and inclusive Afghanistan.
- Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to work together for a successful intra-Afghan dialogue.
- Both leaderships should refrain from negative statements.
- Women participation to further the goal of deradicalization in both countries
- Border Management: Both the Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to work together in earnest for proper border mechanisms in order to address common threats of terrorism and militancy.
- Institutional Mechanism – APAPPS: Both governments should resume the discussion on the process of APAPPS.
- ECONOMIC COOPERATION BILATERAL AND REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY
- Bilateral and regional connectivity: Both governments should jump-start the process of bilateral negotiations for renewing existing APTTA and PTA.
- Special Economic Zones: Both governments should actively explore and jointly work towards establishment of special economic zones, bilaterally or multilaterally where private sector will play a lead role.
- PEOPLE TO PEOPLE RELATIONS
- Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Caucus: Both governments should resolve and commit to facilitate and support elected representatives and parliamentarians of Pakistan and Afghanistan to revive parliamentary exchanges and form a Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Caucus to strengthen bilateral relationship between both democracies.
- Media Partnerships: Both governments should commit to facilitating bilateral and multilateral media and journalistic exchanges and programmes aimed at development and strengthening of dynamic media to play its constructive role for promotion of regional peace and economic development.
- Cultural Collaborations and Exchanges: Both governments should commit to facilitating bilateral and multilateral initiatives by public and private sectors for promotion of arts, culture and creative industries to help peace and economic development in both countries.
- Civil Society and Private Sector Cooperation: Both governments should commit to support and facilitate civil society and private sector initiatives for bilateral and regional peace, development, economic growth and connectivity.
- Women’s organizations exchange: Both governments should adopt a fully gendered approach and commitment for strengthening bilateral relations, whereby women’s organizations and representatives are given a central role in all associated processes and initiatives.
- HEALTH, EDUCATION AND VISA REGIME
- Ease of Visa regime: Both governments should adopt a liberalized visa regime to enable and support strong movement of peoples and businesses between both countries for constructive socio-cultural, health and economic purposes.
- Pakistan-Afghanistan Youth Caucus: Honoring the joint call by youth of Pakistan and Afghanistan for collaborative action for regional peace and connectivity, both governments should commit to fully support a Pakistan-Afghanistan Youth Caucus that supports both countries for implementation of their national youth policies.
- Academic Partnerships: Both governments should actively encourage and support academic communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan to undertake joint projects of learning, academic enterprise and thought leadership to strengthen bilateral and regional peace, economic development and connectivity.