Pakistani and Afghan delegates wrapped up their unofficial dialogue in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif with a call on both countries to boost cooperation in the field of culture, education, sports and the media.

They agreed that enhanced interaction in the fields of education, culture and sports would help to bridge the trust gap as the relations between the two neighboring countries have deteriorated to the detriment of their respective interests, according to a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting.
The dialogue “Beyond Boundaries” under the Track-II mechanism was jointly organized by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies in partnership with its counterpart in Kabul, Women & Peace Studies Organization (WPSO).
On trade both sides urged their respective governments for the early finalization of the review of the Afghan Pakistan Trade Transit Agreement (APTTA) to give a boost to bilateral trade.
The participants comprise five to seven members each from Pakistan and Afghanistan including security experts, parliamentarians, civil society, and business/media representatives.
The Pakistani delegation comprised: Dr. Shoaib Suddle, former Intelligence Bureau Chief, Qazi Humayun, Mian Sanaullah (both former ambassadors), Shazia Marri, PPP member of the National Assembly, Imtiaz Gul, the CRSS director and Tahir Khan, journalist.In their recommendations both sides took note of the recent episode of the green-eyed Afghan girl Sharbat Gula which necessitates the need to evolve a legal mechanism for the benefit of vulnerable Afghan refugees especially a) females/ spouses, b) children born in Pakistan, c) protection of their properties and movable assets as per law.
Both sides agreed to urge their respective governments to ensure repatriation of Afghan refugees with dignity and honor; particularly for Afghan investors, students, medical and other deserving categories.

This article originally appeared in The Pakistan Observer,  21 November, 2016. Original link.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are not necessarily supported by CRSS.