Ijaz Kakakhel
In the wake of the recent Taliban’s offensive and rapid gains in Afghanistan amidst uncertainty over the success of the peace process in the war-torn country, the stalemate in the intra Afghan dialogue creates concerns for peace and stability in the region.
This was the crux of a discussion titled ‘Developments in Afghanistan: Implications for Pakistan and the Region’ which was organized by Institute of Policy Studies.
Ambassador (Retd) Syed Abrar Hussain was of the view that the Doha Accord which served as a foundation for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan entailed an intra Afghan dialogue clause under which modalities of ceasefire and future political roadmap were to be decided.
Ayaz Wazir argued that bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of regional countries including Pakistan, China and Iran.
Commenting on the implications for Pakistan, Dr Sadia maintained that Pakistan needs to apply a cautious policy towards recognizing the Taliban regime should they come in power, as the decision will impact internal security affairs.
