Afghan, Pakistani Actors Emphasize Intertwined Peace at Islamabad Meet

The South Asian Strategic Stability Institute and Women for Afghanistan, organizers of the meeting, described the gathering as creating an unprecedented opportunity for honest, face-to-face dialogue between activists from both countries.

The main goals of the meeting were to strengthen mutual understanding, identify areas of cooperation, and seek joint solutions to security challenges and economic relations.

The meeting included at least 30 people from political movements, civil society activists, and officials from the former Afghan government, alongside 40 former senior Pakistani officials.

Maria Sultan, head of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute, said that given the geopolitical landscape, creating spaces for free and honest dialogue is not only useful but necessary. She described the Islamabad meeting as the first practical step towards building trust and unity between the two countries.

The Islamabad dialogue process seeks to build effective communication bridges between politicians, civil society activists, academics, and influential figures from both countries.

The commitment shown by all participants reinforces the belief that common challenges can only be solved through dialogue and joint solutions.

The joint two-day meeting of political and civil society activists from Afghanistan and Pakistan was held in Islamabad.

The meeting had been postponed at least three times, reportedly due to strong opposition from the Taliban regarding the presence of their opponents in Islamabad.

Participants included Fowzia Koofi, a member of the former government’s parliament, Mustafa Mastoor, former Minister of Economy of Afghanistan, Nasir Ahmad Andesha, Afghanistan’s representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ahmadullah Alizai, former Governor of Kabul, Alia Yilmaz, former Commissioner of the Administrative Reform Commission, and Tahir Zuhair, former Governor of Bamyan.

Abdul Qarlq and Fereydoun Elham, representatives of the National Islamic Movement party, and Masouma Khawari, a representative of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, also participated. Zahra Joya, a journalist, and Bashir Ahmad Ansari, a writer and religious scholar, were among other Afghan activists invited.

Former US Representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, called Pakistan’s action to hold the meeting “irresponsible and regrettable.”

Fowzia Koofi emphasized the human dimension of the dialogues, stating that “peace does not only mean the absence of war; it means the existence of opportunity, justice, and understanding.”

The Islamabad process seeks to bring together diverse Afghan and Pakistani voices to discuss the shared future of the two countries.

The Islamabad meeting was held under the title “Towards Unity and Trust.” Organizers emphasized that these dialogues have become a process and will continue.