ISLAMABAD, Feb 12 (APP): South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) organized a two-day international conference on ‘Pakistan-NATO Relations: Post 2014’ with collaboration of International Centre for Democratic Transition (ICDT), Hungary at a local hotel on Wednesday.
Dr. Maria Sultan, Director General SASSI, in her welcome address said that the war in Afghanistan has always cast a deep shadow on Pakistan and the geostrategic importance of Pakistan is double edged sword, on one hand it ushers Pakistan to the center stage of the international security architecture and the other, it has placed Pakistan at the cross road of international politics.
She said that the continuous shift in US policy towards Afghanistan-Pakistan had serious implications for Pakistan’s internal stability.
“Pakistan has paid a heavy price in flesh and blood in fighting terrorism over the last decade and remains committed to bringing this fight to an end through all available means both internally as well as regionally.”, she added.
Federal Minister for Water, Power and Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Pakistan and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) relations are of key importance as they represent the bedrock of regional security but also provide the necessary detail to the Afghan security imbroglio.
He said that it is high time to redraw Pakistan-NATO relations on new parameters adding that today, Pakistan is facing serious challenges as a result of the security situation in Afghanistan and due to its direct and indirect impact on Pakistan’s security matrix. This is our firm belief that regional security problems require a local and regional approach they cannot be imposed on the region, he maintained.
Khawaja Asif said that our state policy demonstrated our sincere commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan. We are facilitating an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process of reconciliation as the date for the withdrawal of NATO forces approaches.
Federal Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir said that the role of Pakistan and NATO countries are critical in making Afghanistan, a peaceful and prosperous country. In post 2014, the emergence of a free, united and friendly to all Afghanistan is the best solution for regional as well as to international peace and security, he added.
Dastgir said that Pakistan has a three prong strategy with regards to Afghanistan: promoting peaceful, united and prosperous Afghanistan by endorsing Afghan led-Afghan owned reconciliation process, promoting economic prosperity though increasing bilateral between the both countries and a smooth withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan.
On this occasion, JUI Chief Maulana Fazalu-ur-Rehman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former Foreign Minister, Lt. Gen ® Asif Yaseen, Secretary Defense, Szabolcs Tak cs, Deputy State Secretary, Hungary, Major General Noel Israel Khokhar, Director General Institute for Strategic Studies Research and Analysis (ISSRA), Gen Laszlo Tombol, Former Chief of General Staff, Hungry, Amb Istvan gyarmati, Director of ICDT, Chairman UN Secretary General Advisory Committee on Disarmament also spoke on this occasion. More
