Lahore process: Afghan-Pakistani challenge against tails of terrorism on their territory

Nahla Abdel Moneim

The two regional neighbors, Afghanistan and Pakistan, have been threatened by a terrorist extension and ideological extremism that has been spreading for years on their soil for several reasons. The Pakistani Foreign Minister called for a peace conference of Afghan politicians and tribesmen to lay the foundations for peace between them.

On June 22, the minister inaugurated a three-day Lahore Operation peace conference in Pakistan, close to the capital, Islamabad, saying during his opening speech that he hopes for a comprehensive peace between the two countries to impose security and safety.

He believes that peace in Afghanistan reflects the security situation in his country because terrorism and extremist groups have become a major threat to the national security of the country.

He said the conference would be followed by an official visit by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Pakistani territory on Thursday (June 27th) to reaffirm cooperation between the two countries and end the era of “mutual mistrust” and the political conflict.

Concurrent points

The conference comes days before the seventh round of talks between the United States and the Taliban, whose members have not been invited to the conference, to end the 17-year US military presence in Afghanistan and ensure that the country’s territory is not taken as a platform to attack US interests for any international party.

It also coincides with the international calls launched by Pakistan’s representative to the United Nations on June 21 on the need for all Afghan parties to dialogue to end the crisis of the country, highlighting the role of her country in mediating between the Taliban and the government to approve the expected peace process.

Conflicting history

Many rely on recent efforts to resolve the conflict between the two countries in preparation for peace agreements to ensure the calm of the region after the departure of US forces, and based on the political theories linking the regional and political turmoil and the spread of terrorism. The skirmishes between the two parties have been closely associated with the development of methods of terrorism in the region.

The two countries have been fighting since 1947 – the date of Pakistan’s independence – on the border between them, which includes the Direund line stretching more than 2.5 kilometers. With the complexity of the situation and the spread of extremist movements on their territory, each exchanged allegations of containing extremist elements and supporting materially and logistically.

Skirmishes escalated during the reign of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism, but his successor Ashraf Ghani, announced since the first day his adoption of a new policy towards the neighboring country and cooperation with them to reduce the opportunities of terrorism in the region.

However, the Taliban remains the subject of months of controversy between the parties. On 26 March 2019, Kabul summoned its ambassador to Islamabad after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on the mistake of direct negotiations between the Afghans and the Taliban and calling for the formation of a neutral government negotiating with the terrorist movement, which was rejected by the former.

In light of the above, politicians and analysts are waiting for the results of the Afghan-Pakistani rapprochement with extremist groups in the region, especially with the Taliban not invited to the conference, which may have different implications for long-standing differences.