KABUL: Enhanced trade and people-to-people contacts between Afghanistan and Pakistan will boost bilateral relations and peace in the region, civil society representatives believe.
At a two-day workshop that concluded in Islamabad on Tuesday, participants from the two countries discussed a whole host of issues, including terrorism and poverty.
The ongoing Afghan peace process should continue in line with the internationally-accepted values, participants suggested, hailing the quadrilateral dialogue and the decision to hold another session on February 23.
Leaders of both countries were urged to tackle misperceptions that could scuttle the dialogue as well as bilateral relations. The speakers called for respecting the basic rights of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
They hoped the Taliban would attend the session as interlocutors and that women’s perspective would be taken into consideration at the forthcoming quadrilateral discussions.
The initiative was launched by the Centre of Research and Security Studies in partnership with Duran Research and Analysis (DRA).
The officials stressed indiscriminate action on both sides against non-state actors and promotion of cultural ties through an exchange of visits of writers, students and opinion-makers.
