ISLAMABAD (Khyber Mal): At a roundtable discussion hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), experts emphasized the need for a regional strategy to tackle the multifaceted challenges stemming from Afghanistan, including economic, human rights, and terrorism-related issues.
Speakers highlighted that the Afghan Interim Administration is gradually expanding its diplomatic reach, establishing de facto relations with numerous global capitals. Despite lacking support from all ethnic groups within Afghanistan, the administration has been credited with bringing a degree of political stability and reducing large-scale violence.
However, experts noted that political stability has not translated into improved human rights, particularly for women. The recent enactment of a strict ‘promotion of virtue and prohibition of vice’ law has further restricted fundamental rights, leaving the future of Afghan women uncertain amid ongoing limitations on their movement and education.
The formation of an inclusive government remains a significant challenge for the Afghan Interim Administration, alongside the country’s fragile economic situation. Although the Afghan economy has not collapsed as some predicted, it remains precarious. Efforts to expand economic relations with neighboring countries were acknowledged, but concerns about the long-term health of the economy persist.
Speakers also urged the Afghan Interim Administration to lift restrictions on journalists’ travel to Afghanistan, allowing for accurate reporting from the ground.
Participants included IRS President Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, ISSRA Director-General Major General Muhammad Raza Aizad, senior journalists Tahir Khan, Sumera Khan, and Khalid Khan, Pak-Afghan Youth Forum Director-General Salman Javed, athlete and women’s rights activist Samar Khan, and IRS researchers Aarish U. Khan and Aleena Shah. The event was attended by diplomats, academics, researchers, opinion-makers, and students, who engaged in a lively discussion.