- FATA, PATA must be incorporated in Pakistan, demands Afghan delegate
- Govt control over FATA is disastrous for Pakistan, says Pak delegate
Pakistan-Afghanistan Bilateral Conference 2013 organised by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) kicked off in the capital on Friady. Parliamentarians, intelligentsia and journalists of both the countries attended the conference titled “ISAF withdrawal from Afghanistan: Bilateral Partnership for Peace and Cooperation”.
In his opening speech, SAFMA Chairman Imtiaz Alam indicated that peaceful Afghanistan was the need of the day not for Pakistan or the region rather the entire world.
In his keynote address senior journalist and regional observer Ahmed Rashid was of the view that Taliban have no capacity for running Afghanistan in past as well as today, so they should understand reconciliation with other groups. Transitions in Afghanistan always had an impact over Pakistan therefore this was in the interest of Pakistan to have a sovereign and strong Afghanistan, he said.
Afghanistan’s former information minister Abdul Mubariz during his speech expressed his pragmatic views about Pak-Afghan relations and said that Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif was politically strong and could come up with resolve for good and solid relations between the two neighbouring countries.
While addressing the conference, PTI leader Asad Umar cited that South Asian intra-regional trade was less than one percent and increasing trade within the region is inevitable for the growth of the region. He mentioned that all trade and physical access route from Central Asia go through Afghanistan and energy rich Central Asia cannot take advantage of energy starved South Asia through any gas pipe line or power transmission line.
Pakistan’s former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that all countries of the region must sit together and resolve this issue instead of trying to get the advantage of unrest in Afghanistan.
In open session, participants expressed views that FATA and PATA areas must be incorporated in mainland of Pakistan and strong border management from Pakistan can help to ensure peace in Afghanistan.
The doctrine of strategic depth adopted by foreign policy of Pakistan was strongly criticised by Afghan delegates and they maintained that this doctrine has ruined not only Afghanistan rather Pakistan during the last 35 years to get its strategic depth. Pakistani delegated were of the view that now if Pakistan will try to control FATA, it will create another disastrous situation for Pakistan.