The second day's session of the Pak-Afghan Journalists Conference was held in Area Study Centre. About 50 senior journalists from both the countries are participating in the conference.
On the second day, the conference was addressed by provincial president, ANP, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, senior journalist, Saleem Safi, Brigadier Mohammad Saad (Retd), Inayat Kakar, Mohammad Ilyas Wahdat, Sailaab Mehsud, Director, Area Study Centre, Dr Sarfaraz Khan, and Dr Ejaz Khattak of the Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar.
Addressing the conference, Senator Afrasiab Khattak said that terrorists could not change history through suicide attacks. He said that the democratic forces of Pakistan were neither interested in intervention in Afghanistan nor against its existence. He said that elected government in Pakistan could not think of any opposition to Afghanistan.
He said that ANP was the only Pakistani political party, which had announced 14 points about Afghanistan. He said besides education and economic activities, democratic thinking is also growing in Afghans, which had brought flexibility in Afghan tribes. However, he said difference and lack of co-ordination still prevails among rival groups.
He said that media can play important role in the development of friendship between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Therefore, he urged media to play positive role in the bringing the people of both countries closer.
Senior journalist, Saleem Safi, said that Pak-Afghan governments should have to come close to each other by themselves and they should have to abandon looking towards Turkey or United States. He said that the defeat of United States nowhere meant the victory of Pakistan. He said that after the withdrawal of US forces, their bases or infighting is not in the interest of both countries. He said that Mulla Omar and Gulbadin Hikmatyar were needed to sit together.
He was of the view that some forces did not want good relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Saleem Safi said that all important posts in Afghanistan were occupied by non-Pakhtuns, which are against the development of Pakhtuns. He said that like Pakistanis, who blamed military and ISI for every problem, Afghanistan blame Pakistan for every matter.
Brigadier Mohammad Saad (Retd) said that the US was looking way for honourable withdrawal. But, at the same time, the US does not wanted to leave behind problems. He said that the people of Afghanistan were not opposed to the Islam of Taliban, but against their social policies.
He said that about 10,000 to 15,000 US forces will remain in two to three bases in Afghanistan, but both the presence and complete withdrawal of United States will remain a problem for Pakistan and it should have to prepare its strategy in this regard.
To a question regarding operation in North Waziristan, he said that Pakistan army was engaged in different areas and with the presence of India like country on its Eastern frontier it could not afford any kind of adventurism. Brigadier Saad said that countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia were supporting different groups in the country.