Former Pakistani Senator Calls for Trade-Focused Ties With Afghanistan
Former Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed has said Islamabad should review its approach toward Afghanistan and, instead of a security-driven lens, base ties with Kabul on trade, investment and shared economic interests.
He made the remarks at a conference at the University of Peshawar titled “Beyond the Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict; Advancing Regional Peace and Mutual Understanding.” According to him, relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are not limited to neighbourliness and also include the two countries’ historical, geographical, cultural and economic links.
The Pakistani politician also said the experience of the past four decades has shown that military interventions and strategic calculations have failed to create lasting stability in Afghanistan. He urged Islamabad to separate trade relations from political disputes, saying continued trade is in the interest of both countries.
Mushahid Hussain Syed warned that disruption to trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan could strengthen alternative trade routes through Iran and Central Asia and pave the way for Pakistan’s economic rivals to increase their share in the Afghan market.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he emphasised expanding regional connectivity, saying the Wakhan Corridor could link Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China and create new trade opportunities with Central Asia.
Other speakers at the conference also described the continued tensions between Kabul and Islamabad as a threat to regional peace, bilateral trade, economic connectivity and the stability of border communities, and stressed the need to shift relations from confrontation to dialogue and cooperation.
The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip in northeastern Afghanistan that connects Badakhshan province to China and is considered one of the potential routes for expanding regional connectivity.
