The Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad has rekindled hopes for a revival of dialogue for regional peace. Pakistan, India and Afghanistan form the axis of animosity that has plagued the region with chronic conflicts. Since its inception, Pakistan has been sandwiched between conflicts on its eastern and western borders, and that has taken a toll on peace and human development. Two weeks ago, I visited Kabul as part of a “track 1.5/II” dialogue facilitated by two leading civil society organizations of Pakistan and Afghanistan – the Centre for Research and Security Studies in Islamabad, and Duran in Kabul. Our eight-member delegation represented various shades of civil society, including media, non-governmental organizations and the academia. During the visit, the delegation had intensive discussions with the Afghan civil society, media and political leadership, including Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah and the former president Hamid Karzai. The interaction with a cross-section of the Afghan society provided us with a unique opportunity to understand the dynamics of the conflict and the various perspectives on both sides. I returned from Afghanistan with deeper worries Perceptions and narratives have evolved over decades, because of long rivalries. A blend of genuine concerns and baseless misperceptions has resulted in a pervasive mistrust on both sides. From the civil society to the top political leadership, almost everyone in Afghanistan believes that the Pakistani establishment is singularly responsible for their plight. While they appreciated Pakistan’s generous hospitality to millions of Afghan refugees for decades, they firmly believed that elements responsible for terrorist activities in Afghanistan enjoyed cross-border support. The Haqqani group and Pakistani Taliban were frequently referred as violent outfits coddled by the Pakistani establishment. When we asked them about the presence of Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan, the Afghan leadership...

A nine member Pakistani delegation comprising senior security officials, members of parliament and media arrived in Kabul on Sunday December 20th, for the first round of regional security working groups meetings, as part Beyond Boundaries, a series of Track 1.5/II meetings between Afghan and Pakistani Security Sector Stakeholders. The initiative is led by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in partnership with Afghan counterpart organization DURAN Research and Analysis. After the successful conclusion of the two-day workshop which ended in both groups agreeing and adopting a joint declaration (reproduced below), both delegations met with the Chief Executive of the National Unity Government, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on December 22nd, 2015 and with the National Security Advisor (NSA) Hanif Atmar at the Presidential Palace on December 23rd, 2015. NSA Atmar promised to take all recommendations to the 16-member National Security Council and conveyed President Ashraf Ghani's message that his government welcomes and fully supports initiatives like Beyond Boundaries. The NSA said Afghanistan was ready for a multilateral mechanism - including with friendly countries like the USA and China - which could verify allegations and actions against terrorists in both countries. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah welcomed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's commitment to respect and accept Afghanistan's sovereignty and his recognition of the National Unity Government. He said concrete actions against terrorist networks of all shades could greatly help in bringing the two countries together. He said Afghanistan believed in the sincerity of the Pakistani army and civilian government and hoped that it translates into solid action. He welcomed all Pakistani efforts for the reconciliation process, and expressed his willingness to talk with all those who want to bring peace to Afghanistan. He added that the window of opportunity is brief, and both countries need to accelerate the bilateral...

KABUL: With militants crossing Pak-Afghan border becoming a major issue, experts from Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to put in place a stronger, mutually coordinated border management mechanism. This decision was taken at an unofficial security dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan that concluded in Kabul on Tuesday. Retired generals, parliamentarians and security experts from both sides deliberated upon key issues and would now share their recommendations with their respective governments. A joint declaration issued after the conference called for devising a formal mechanism to coordinate security operations on both sides of the border. It recommended establishing hotlines and developing other communication systems between commanders on ground for intelligence sharing and enforcing developing standard operating procedures. This was the first round of meetings as part of a series of seven Track 1.5/II meetings between Afghan and Pakistani security sector stakeholders. This initiative supported by the British government is organised by the Centre of Research and Security Studies in partnership with Duran Research & Analysis (Afghanistan) and the Foundation for Integrated Development Action (FIDA). Organisers say the project has been launched in an effort to help connect civil society and security stakeholders of both countries, improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Participants of the dialogue also met Afghan Chief Executive Dr Abdullah Abdullah, who described terrorism as a common threat and stressed that all countries in the region should fight jointly. “There should be no bad and good terrorists,” he said.”Afghanistan’s sovereignty should be respected.” He added Kabul wanted amicable relations with all neighbours. “We do not want any interference and hope that others will also follow the same policies,” he said. The dialogue also stressed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations should be condemned and violence by non-state...

ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Regional security workshop arranged in Kabul for Pak-Afghan Track-2 talks on Tuesday ended. Joint action for stopping terrorists’ funding, establishment of hotline for better border management and integrated action against terrorists, reported Dunya News. A 7-point declaration was released at the end of the operation which said that all kinds of terrorism must be condemned on both sides of the border. It also stated that the extremist actions by non-state actors will be considered terrorism. Moreover, drugs, arms smuggling, kidnapping for ransom are sources of funding for terrorism and a clear framework will be made for stopping them. The declaration advised Pakistan and Afghanistan governments to work for better border management, put up integrated action to target the terrorists on both sides of the border, set up hotline connection between the border commanders of both the countries and formulate strategy for intelligence sharing. The declaration further states that steps need to be taken to stop national and international funding of the seminaries. It adds that the seminaries curriculum must be kept under strict surveillance. “Governments should work on unbiased reporting of Pak-Afghan relations”, the declaration says. It also advised setting up a joint civil society monitoring commission for the implementation of Pak-Afghan bilateral agreements. Published on http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/314146-Kabul-Security-workshop-for-PakAfghan-Track2-ta  

KABUL: Senior Afghan officials hope the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s army chief will not only provide an impetus to efforts for resurrecting a moribund peace process but also help mend fractured ties between the two neighbours. Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif is likely to visit Afghanistan this week, Pakistani and Afghan sources told The Express Tribune. “Both sides have agreed that the visit should take place before December 30,” said one Kabul-based Afghan source. A senior official in President Ashraf Ghani’s administration said Gen Raheel’s visit would have two dimensions. “The two sides will focus on ways to improve Pak-Afghan relations, and explore options for talks with the Taliban,” said the official who did not wish to be named. “We will also touch upon the understanding reached during the recent ministerial meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process that envisages action against irreconcilable elements,” said the official, who was part of the Afghan delegation at the trilateral and quadrilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad. Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States attended these meetings. “There is a window of opportunity over the next four months to push for peace because after that the Taliban would launch their so-called spring offensive which could create problems,” the Afghan official said. Last week, President Ghani said the peace process should resume “in weeks not months”. And a section of the Afghan media quoted National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar as saying that talks could begin in “two to three weeks”. A senior Pakistani official also said the resumption of talks should take “no longer than two weeks … I would say the first week of January we will see the process restart again.” He told Reuters that the current plan was for the meetings to be held in Pakistan. The aim was to bring Afghan and Pakistani leaders together with special representatives from China and...

KABUL: Senior Afghan officials hope the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s army chief will not only provide an impetus to efforts for resurrecting a moribund peace process but also help mend fractured ties between the two neighbours. Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif is likely to visit Afghanistan this week, Pakistani and Afghan sources told The Express Tribune. “Both sides have agreed that the visit should take place before December 30,” said one Kabul-based Afghan source. A senior official in President Ashraf Ghani’s administration said Gen Raheel’s visit would have two dimensions. “The two sides will focus on ways to improve Pak-Afghan relations, and explore options for talks with the Taliban,” said the official who did not wish to be named. “We will also touch upon the understanding reached during the recent ministerial meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process that envisages action against irreconcilable elements,” said the official, who was part of the Afghan delegation at the trilateral and quadrilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad. Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States attended these meetings. “There is a window of opportunity over the next four months to push for peace because after that the Taliban would launch their so-called spring offensive which could create problems,” the Afghan official said. Last week, President Ghani said the peace process should resume “in weeks not months”. And a section of the Afghan media quoted National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar as saying that talks could begin in “two to three weeks”. A senior Pakistani official also said the resumption of talks should take “no longer than two weeks … I would say the first week of January we will see the process restart again.” He told Reuters that the current plan was for the meetings to be held in Pakistan. The aim was to bring Afghan and Pakistani leaders together with special representatives from China and...