Need for a consistent policy to manage the bilateral relationship with Afghanistan’, urge speakers at CASS Roundtable.

03 June, 2024: The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad, convened a roundtablediscussion on ‘Reimagining Pakistan’s Afghan Strategy.’ The event aimed to explore and refine Pakistan’s strategy towards Afghanistan in an evolving geopolitical regional landscape. Esteemed discussants included Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan

Ambassador Asif Durrani; Mr Hassan Akbar, Senior Policy Specialist at the National Security
Division, Government of Pakistan; Ms Amina Khan, Director at the Centre for Afghanistan,
Middle East & Africa, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad; Mr Aarish Ullah Khan, Research Analyst at the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad; and Dr Usman W. Chohan, Advisor on Economic Affairs & National Development at CASS. Air Marshal Farooq Habib (Retd), Senior Director at CASS moderated the proceedings, while President CASS Air Marshal
Javaid Ahmed delivered the concluding remarks.

The discussion highlighted the need for a ‘patient’, ‘proactive’ and ‘consistent’ strategy,
focusing on bilateral dialogue, enhanced border surveillance, and effective refugee management. The importance of employing advanced yet more cost-effective technology-driven security systems such as UAVs for border control was underscored, alongside proposals for bolstering Afghanistan’s economic capacity through improved connectivity, educational linkages, and trade routes. The roundtable also highlighted the necessity of a comprehensive approach rather than reactive measures, advocating for strategies that ‘compartmentalise’ various aspects of the Pak-Afghan relationship to prevent escalation and ensure cooperation across multiple domains.