The PTV Peshawar (Current Affairs Department) has organized a panel discussion on the unfolding political situation in Afghanistan, which was hosted by Bakht Zaman Yusufzai and the panelists were Prof Dr Zahid Anwar, director, China Study Center & dean Faculty of Social sciences, University of Peshawar, brig ® Mahmood Shah and Lahaz Ali. Mr Mahmood Shah in his comments said that Afghanistan is passing through a critical time and Taliban have changed their strategy they have captured areas near the Amu River along Tajikistan and Turkmenistan borders. Lahaz Ali said that media can play very important and constructive role regarding the emerging crisis in Afghanistan and highlighted the spoiler`s role of India. Prof Dr Zahid Anwar in his comments said that Pakistan has a long border with Afghanistan and has adopted a pragmatic policy about the crisis in Afghanistan; it cannot close its eyes from the development in Afghanistan. China`s BRI and CPEC is a short cut to peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan and China are cooperating with one another for peaceful resolution of the issue on the other side of the Durand Line. Prof Anwar said that years back he has travelled many times by road from Peshawar to Jalalabad, Kabul, Maidan Shaher, Bamyan, Baghlan, Mazar e Shareef, Maimana, Badghis, Herat, Farah, Neemroz, Kandahar, Gazni, Kabul, Jalalabad and back to Peshawar and met ministers, governors and many common people of Afghanistan belonging to different ethnic groups they all considered Pakistan, a neighbor, friend and brotherly Muslim country and were thankful to Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghan refugees since the 1970s. He said that Afghans have the capability to resolve their issues; the international community should focus on amicable Afghan led Afghan owned resolution of the imbroglio there. He hoped that the people of Afghanistan will have stable and prosperous Afghanistan without human and material losses after the NATO complete withdrawal. China has launched BRI and CPEC and India can play a constructive role by joining economic integration projects like CPEC in the region. In the end the host thanked all the panelists for joining the discussion on such an important theme.
Zahid Anwar
