Pakistan is all set to form a ‘Joint Committee on Afghanistan’ in parliament as the two sides agreed to address crucial issues, such as improved coordination on counterterrorism operations, addressing apprehensions regarding terrorists’ havens and effective control on growth and supply of drugs fuelling terrorism in the region through their respective parliaments. According to a source in parliament, an ‘Afghanistan Caucus’ might also be formed in Pakistan’s Parliament House as the two sides endeavoured to adopt a people-oriented approach in enhancing bilateral relations. The source said the decision was made during the Pak-Afghan parliamentarian dialogue held in Kabul on May 29-30, in which 15 Pakistani MPs joined their counterparts in a candid, frank, intense and fruitful interaction. Pakistani parliamentarians and Afghan MPs agreed on a number of key points that impact the relationship between the two countries, the source said, adding that the two sides agreed on enhancing border management, intelligence-sharing and cooperation as well as developing bilateral cooperation between the armed forces and security agencies of Pakistan and Afghanistan, liberalising visa regimes, enhancing communication networks such as air travel, road and rail networks.
Facilitating media exchange, greater support and facilitation for Afghan students, instituting a ‘commission on prisoners’ facilitating youth and cultural exchanges and early and voluntary return of Afghan refugees in Pakistan to Afghanistan are the points upon which the two sides agreed to move forward through the cooperation of respective parliaments. The source quoted a letter written by the National Assembly deputy speaker to the Senate chairman in which he sought the chairman’s support in institutionalising these parliamentary dialogue between Pakistan and other countries of the region such as India.
