Pakistan, Afghanistan must pursue sustained dialogue, experts say

ISLAMABAD: Despite persistent security challenges, Pakistan and Afghanistan have no viable alternative but to pursue sustained dialogue-based engagement, pragmatic cooperation, calibrated security measures, expanded trade and stronger Track 1.5 and Track II diplomacy to rebuild trust and improve bilateral relations, experts said on Monday.

The views were expressed during a high-level stakeholder consultation on Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral developments and the way forward, organised by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) under its multitrack diplomacy initiative, Beyond Boundaries.

Fazal Moqeem, former president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), said Pakistan-Afghanistan relations involved significant economic interests beyond security. He noted that many industries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa relied on trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia and that prolonged trade disruptions had resulted in unemployment and economic hardship.

He urged state and non-state stakeholders on both sides of the border to revive dialogue through sustained talks to resolve outstanding issues and restore mutually beneficial economic engagement.

Nasir Dawar, senior journalist and tribal representative from North Waziristan, highlighted the severe economic impact of strained bilateral relations, noting that many businesses and manufacturing units, particularly those owned by people from the former tribal areas and dependent on Afghan and Central Asian markets, had shut down.

Arbab Qaiser, Chief of the Customs Wing at the Federal Board of Revenue, underscored the impact of border closures on trade with Central Asia and called for a closer assessment of their economic consequences.

He described traders and businesspeople as goodwill ambassadors who could help strengthen bilateral relations and noted that previous ministerial-level engagements had produced positive outcomes.

Maulana Mufti Muhammad Qasim Haqqani said nearly 90 per cent of Chaman’s population depended on cross-border trade and border-related economic activity, making the community particularly vulnerable to prolonged disruptions. He highlighted the adverse impact on transport and allied services and said local representatives had travelled to Kandahar to urge restraint and protect civilians from the effects of cross-border hostilities.

Retired Lieutenant General Inamul Haq argued that geostrategic considerations would continue to outweigh geoeconomic interests in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. He identified the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the foremost challenge and maintained that meaningful normalisation would remain difficult without addressing the group’s presence in Afghanistan.

Former foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua stressed that sustained engagement with Afghanistan remained essential and argued that regime change was neither a realistic nor desirable option. While acknowledging terrorism as a serious concern, she emphasised the importance of expanding trade, strengthening people-to-people ties and promoting positive narratives to counter growing polarisation.

Former ambassador to Iran Riffat Masood said both countries had fallen short of making sustained efforts to normalise relations and cautioned against treating border closures as the default response to security incidents.

Policy professional Ammara Durrani said Pakistan required a broader strategic rethink beyond Afghanistan, highlighted the asymmetry in the bilateral relationship and called for elevating Track II engagement to Track 1.5 diplomacy.

Former ambassador Seema Elahi Baloch questioned whether Pakistan and Afghanistan had genuinely exhausted diplomatic avenues and urged greater emphasis on sustained dialogue and engagement before resorting to confrontational measures.

Dr Qibla Ayaz, a member of the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and former chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), called for greater attention to Afghanistan’s humanitarian challenges, including poverty and food insecurity, alongside security concerns.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026

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