Afghan Peace and Reconciliation: Pakistan’s Interests and Policy Options II

This report by Pak Institute for Peace Studies entails the proceedings of its second experts’ consultation on Afghanistan, held on December 11, 2021, out of a series of eight such events that have been designed to discuss and critically evaluate evolving aspects of Afghan conflict and political reconciliation and suggest policy options and strategies to the government of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The report presents the opinions of the participants of the consultation which included academicians, ex-ambassadors, former military officers, senior journalists, and office bearers of different religious-political parties. The participants noted that besides providing humanitarian assistance in the form of aid, Pakistan needed to devise a functional strategy in order to encourage Afghanistan to address its governance deficit. Though the underlying great game in Afghanistan makes policy choices for Pakistan even more difficult, Pakistan needs to demonstrate regional approach and gauge global inclination. These are some of the opinions outlined in this report, which is expected to improve knowledge-base and awareness of key stakeholders on Pakistan’s Afghan perspective and help Pakistan tackle the trickle-down effect of the Afghan quagmire.