Stable Afghanistan crucial for advancing CPEC and trade cooperation: Sohail Mahmood, DG ISSI

ISLAMABAD: Former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood, who heads the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Thursday reminded that a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan was in Pakistan’s interest and would best suit to advance the common interests of trade and connectivity through CPEC and other mega infrastructure projects.

He expressed these views in a lecture at Kabul’s Institute of Diplomacy of Afghan Foreign Office on Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.

Highlighting the bilateral relationship, he said there were no other two countries in the region that had so much in common from geographical proximity to common faith to shared history to ties of ethnicity and kinship to cultural and linguistic affinities.

“The two peoples are bound by indissoluble bonds. This makes positive mutual engagement not a matter of choice, but of necessity,” he stressed.

Sohail said it was time for Pakistan and Afghanistan to place the bilateral relationship on a sound basis that addressed the security concerns, strengthened efforts for a robust economic partnership and promoted the agenda of regional connectivity and economic integration.

He underscored Pakistan’s role in efforts for stabilization of Afghanistan and stressed the urgency of addressing matters relating to border security and counter-terrorism through close consultations and collaboration.

Director of the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA), Ms. Amina Khan of the ISSI, was a part of the visiting delegation.

The delegation had meetings with host Foreign Minister of Afghan Government Amir Khan Muttaqi and Waliullah Shaheen, Director General Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS). Obaid ur Rehman Nizamani, Chargé D’affaires of Pakistan in Kabul, was also present in meeting with the foreign minister.

Muttaqi underlined the closeness of ties between the two countries, reinforced by numerous commonalities of faith, culture and geography.

He apprised the delegation of progress achieved under the interim government on ensuring overall security in the country, improving the economy, controlling poppy cultivation and addressing corruption.

He also highlighted notable progress registered in trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and talked about the need to further focus on regional trade and connectivity.

He stressed strengthening of bilateral dialogue, particularly on issues of mutual concern. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood reviewed the developments during the two years of Afghan interim government, particularly in the realm of security and stability, economy, curbing corruption and reducing poppy cultivation.

He also talked about the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and the recent positives in terms of enhanced bilateral trade.

Waliullah Shaheen, DG CSS, stressed the importance of bilateral relations. He emphasised that the relationship must be approached through the prism of a new narrative revolving around ‘friendship and mutual understanding’ as there was no other way to approach the relationship, since the ties were intertwined.

Sohail Mahmood recalled several key developments in the post-August 2021 Afghanistan, including prevalence of relative peace, albeit with continuing attacks from Daesh/ISKP, increase in IAG revenue generation, expansion in Afghanistan’s overall trade volume, decrease in poppy cultivation and efforts to combat corruption.