Speakers at IRS roundtable: ‘Regional approach could help address Afghan challenges’

ISLAMABAD (WNAM REPORT): Speakers at a roundtable discussion organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) have called for adopting a regional approach towards the various challenges confronting and emanating from Afghanistan, including economic, human rights, and terrorism related challenges.
Various speakers at the event argued that with the establishment of de facto diplomatic relations with more and more capitals of the world, the Afghan Interim Administration was slowly expanding its diplomatic footprint. They maintained that even as the Afghan Interim Administration did not enjoy support of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan, it was seen as a force that had brought about a certain amount of political stability and an end to large-scale violence in Afghanistan.
The experts pointed out, however, that notwithstanding the relative political stability, human rights, especially women rights, remained compromised in Afghanistan. The enactment of a strict ‘promotion of virtue and prohibition of vice’ law was mentioned as a recent case of additional restrictions on the fundamental rights of Afghans, especially the Afghan women, whose future remained uncertain amidst the prevailing restrictions on their movement and education.
The participants also felt that forming an inclusive government remained a major challenge for the Afghan Interim Administration besides the economic situation of the country. The speakers were of the view that even though Afghan economy did not collapse as some had predicted, it remained precariously fragile.
While highlighting the efforts of Afghan Interim Administration towards expanding economic relations with the neighbouring countries, concerns were also expressed over the long-term health of the Afghan economy. Many speakers also urged the Afghan Interim Administration to ease restrictions on the travel of journalists to Afghanistan to report from the ground so that a factual picture of Afghanistan could be presented to the world.
The participants of the roundtable included President IRS, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, Director-General Institute of Strategic Studies Research and Analysis (ISSRA) at the National Defence University Major General Muhammad Raza Aizad, senior journalists Tahir Khan, Sumera Khan, and Khalid Khan, Director-General Pak-Afghan Youth Forum Salman Javed, athlete and women’s rights activist Samar Khan, and IRS researchers Aarish U. Khan and Aleena Shah.
A large audience including diplomats, academics, researchers, opinion-makers, and students witnessed the lively discussion.