Pak-Afghan defence committees dialogue concludes

Jalil Afridi
Kabul: The first-ever two days’ Dialogue between Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production of Pakistan and Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Committee of Meshrano Jirga of Afghan Parliament concluded in Kabul today. The Pakistani side was represented by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production while the Afghan side was led by H. Mohammad Dawood Asass, Acting Chairman, Internal Security and Local Administration Committee of Meshrano Jirga of Afghan parliament.
After two days of deliberations, parliamentarians of the two countries signed a joint declaration which is as under: “The two-day Dialogue focused on issues including Security and the Defence cooperation between the two countries; existing and emerging challenges in Pak-Afghan Relations; Cross-Border Terrorism, Narcotics Smuggling; Border Management, Challenges of 2014 NATO Withdrawal and Afghanistan Peace Process and Institutionalising Pak Afghanistan Defence Parliamentary Dialogue.
Parliamentarians from both sides agreed to enhance the Defence Cooperation between the two countries while developing bilateral cooperation between the Armed Forces and Security Agencies of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They agreed that, in the best interest of both countries’ people, the two brother nations should move forward with a joint approach on important national and regional issues, and should have a joint strategy on security issues affecting the both countries. It was stressed that by connecting with each other and, with the region and outside world, full economic potential of this area and the people can be actualized. MPs at the Defence Committees’ Dialogue agreed that if Pakistan and Afghanistan join hands together the two armed forces can manage their respective internal security problems in a more reasonable and effective way. They stressed that the Security Establishments of Pakistan and Afghanistan should identify and isolate the common threat. It was stressed that there is a need to keep all the channels of communication open between the two countries.
MPs agreed that after withdrawal of US and ISAF Forces from Afghanistan in 2014, there may be possibility of a sense of a vacuum, which can only be filled if the Civil Society in Afghanistan and Pakistan given a chance to be strengthen while strengthening State and Democracy in both Countries.
It was stressed that both countries should look for ways and means to establish better communication between the younger generations of the two countries in all fields. It was also agreed that both countries should also cooperate with other to ensure protection of Women and Human Rights in their respective Countries.

In order to institutionalize the Dialogues between the Defence Committees of the two countries, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed at the Dialogue.”

Talking to the media after the concluding session of the dialogue, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan were brotherly countries and confronting similar challenges like militancy, extremism and terrorism. He said the Afghanistan was priority number one for Pakistan in terms of national security and foreign policy, saying that without peace and stability in Afghanistan there would be no peace and stability in Pakistan. He underlined the need for taking sincere and joint efforts by the two countries to overcome these challenges. He also referred to his meeting with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, saying that he is a good friend of Pakistan. He said that President Karzai was highly appreciative of the All Parties Conference (APC) held on 9th September 2013 in Islamabad. He told the media that the Afghan President was highly impressed by the sincerity of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and he fully supported the decision taken by the Prime Minister to convene the APC. Highlighting the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the parliamentarians of the two countries, he said that it was a historical decision which would help to institutionalize the dialogue between the elected representatives of Afghanistan and Pakistan with a view to promoting a better understanding of each other’s perspectives on matters of security, defense and more broad-based relations between the two countries, peoples and parliaments in such spheres as the economy, trade, investment, youth, education, health, women’s rights, energy, peace process so that people to people relations are cemented. The MoU provides, he said, to hold the dialogue annually by rotation in each other’s capital, Kabul and Islamabad respectively. The next dialogue of the Defense Committees of two countries will be convened in Islamabad in May 2014.