At a SAFMA seminar on ‘Pak-Afghan cooperation against terrorism and for reconciliation and peace’, the participants condemned recent hike in cross-border terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan and called on the two governments to pool all their resources with absolute resolution to jointly fight against cross-border terrorism and manage their border in a coordinated and effective manner.
The SAFMA seminar was in Islamabad on Thursday and was addressed by PPT MNA Shireen Mazari, PPP leader Farhatullah Babar, PPP’s AfrasiabKhattak, ANP’s Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo and senior journalists M Ziauddinand Ahmad Rashied.
The participants approved the following resolution:
- Condemn attacks on Bacha Khan University, Tolo television journalists, Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif and numerous other places and called for coordinated operations against all those who indulge in terrorism, kill innocent people and disturb peace, without any exception;
- Any terrorist attack taking place from across the border in the other country should be taken as an attack against the country of origin- be it Pakistan or Afghanistan. Both countries must not let their territory be used against the other country and take all possible measures to prevent it in coordination with one another and strengthen bilateral security mechanisms;
- Quadrilateral forum of China, US, Pakistan and Afghanistan must ensure peace in Afghanistan by ensuring its security and help reconciliation process be strengthened by engaging the militants who are willing to take the road of peace through negotiations.
- Both the Afghan government and the Taliban must agree to a ceasefire through mutual accommodation and a sense of purpose for a peaceful, diverse, pluralist and democratic Afghanistan and initiate and continue their dialogue in an uninterruptible manner.
- Pakistan and Afghanistan are both suffering from terrorism and the stability in the two countries is intertwined. Therefore, instead of indulging in blame game, they must join hands at all levels to manage their border, fight together against those terrorists who cross to the other country to carry out heinous crimes. Pakistan must not let its territory be used by any terrorist group against Afghanistan, so should Afghanistan not let any terrorism and subversion originate from its territory, either by any terrorist group or third country.
- The border question between the two neighboursbe permanently settled while allowing regulated movement of tribes divided across the border.
- G. Afghanistan must facilitate Pakistani trade routes to Central Asia, so should Pakistan allow Afghanistan access to South Asia. The stalemate on transit trade should be resolved in order to move towards greater connectivity between Central and South Asia.