Peace in Afghanistan

That Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is a highly optimistic person is a fact; he believes in himself and his nation as well. The prime minister has plausibly argued that maritime is critical to every country and providing access to sea is critical to better regional connectivity.

According to him, Pakistan can take its economic growth to 9 percent mark by ensuring successful accomplishment of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and enhancing regional connectivity through roads and sea. Currently, Pakistan’s economic growth stands at nearly 6 percent but it can be increased remarkably by ensuring the proper utilization of access to the sea.

It is a grim reality that absence of peace in Afghanistan will never allow land-locked Central Asian states to access the seas through the ports of Pakistan; it will also undermine every meaningful step that is taken towards creating better infrastructure in the region. It is therefore imperative for the entire region, particularly the Central Asian states and China, to take every possible step aimed at obtaining durable peace in land-locked Afghanistan in the greater interest of the region itself.

Lahore Haroon Reza