Interview with Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan

As the former Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan and the head of Afghan affairs, Aziz Ahmed Khan, now the spokesman for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign affairs, remains optimistic about future relations between the two nations and the rest of the region. In an interview with IRIN on Monday he said stability in Afghanistan would open up more doors for trading partners in Central Asia. QUESTION: As the former ambassador to Afghanistan, how do you think future relations between the two nations will develop? ANSWER: I would say that Pakistan and Afghanistan have two levels of relations. One is the government relations and the other is the people to people relations. The people to people relations go way back in history and there are so many connections, that these relations can be nothing but friendly. As far as the governments are concerned, Pakistan has always had good relations with the authorities in Afghanistan. Following the change in Kabul, post 11 September, we were the first ones to support the UN peace process. If you recall after Lakhdar Brahimi was reappointed as the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative, the first country he visited was Pakistan where he had extensive discussions at the highest levels. Since the Soviet withdrawal, Pakistan has been at the forefront, supporting all UN mediatory efforts. After Mr Karzai became the leader of the interim government, I think Pakistan was the first country he visited, so you can see the commitment there. Q: Given Pakistan’s links with the Taliban, how welcoming has the new government been? A: Pakistan’s recognition of the Taliban was recognition of a ground reality. We have a 2,500-kilometer border with Afghanistan, with the same ethnicity and tribes straddling across the Durrand line. The connections are very close and we cannot afford to close our eyes to this. Others can afford to do this. Everything happening inside Afghanistan affects us directly. But even when we recognized the Taliban we were constantly engaged with the other side too (Northern Alliance), trying to promote political dialogue. Q: What role do you see Pakistan playing in the reconstruction of Afghanistan? A: Pakistan, as you know has pledged US $100 million to be given over a period of five years and 20 percent has already been dispersed. We would like to do more but we have limitations. This money will be spent on projects that Afghans select themselves. Nothing is going to be imposed on them. There were some teething problems in Afghanistan in the beginning in accepting Pakistanis who wanted to help on the ground with reconstruction efforts with some hotheaded incidents. But we have a good understanding with the government and our National Highway authority has recently surveyed the old Kabul road because the government in Kabul had asked us to and because of the easing of trading between us. Our trade has increased tremendously and you will see Pakistani products in the markets in Kabul. Q: Pakistan, along with other states neighbouring Afghanistan, recently signed the Kabul Declaration promoting good neighbourly relations. What will we see come out of this? A: We have always held the view that durable peace can only come to Afghanistan when there is no outside interference and it has been a policy with Pakistan not to interfere with other countries. It is essential for Afghanistan to have no outside interference if it is to remain a stable country and promote peace in the region. In the past, trade from Central Asia via Afghanistan to Pakistani ports was limited due to turmoil in Afghanistan and we hope this will change so we can all benefit from it. Q: In terms of stability, do you have any concerns over Islamic movements within Central Asia? A: These countries have their own internal problems, which they need to solve. As far as terrorism is concerned, Pakistan has given support to the international coalition against terrorism. We ourselves have been a victim of terrorism. We know what it means so we will certainly give our full cooperation to fighting terrorism and extremism. Q: The issue of Afghan refugees has always been a contentious one. Where does the government stand on this now? A: I don’t think there has been another such example of a country which has been so accommodating to refugees and hosting them with such open arms and so much patience. In fact,Afghan refugees were almost treated as brothers and not refugees. There is no other country where you can see refugees leaving the camps and competing economically, own businesses, or own property. Q: But there is evidence that innocent Afghans have been harassed. A: There are elements of criminals in every population and they have to be punished for this and those are the only people who have been harassed. I can give you a list of better off countries, which cannot even tolerate a small amount of asylum seekers. We feel the international community is not doing enough with repatriation. There is peace in Afghanistan but there are still very little economic opportunities for them. If the international community starts pouring in money, they will return. Many want to return because it is hardship on them and on us. We are not a rich country and cannot afford to have extra people on the job market. Q: With renewed fighting in parts of Afghanistan, causing fresh displacement, are you concerned that there could be a return of refugees to Pakistan? A: The sooner there is peace in Afghanistan, the more conducive it will be for refugees to return. This is what the international community should concentrate on. The internally displaced people could be accommodated in camps inside Afghanistan. They don’t need to travel 500 kilometers and come to Pakistan. Q: What about Afghans who wish to remain in Pakistan, what is their status? A: We hope ultimately all Afghans, all aliens will return to Afghanistan. Otherwise there are rules and regulations for aliens to stay in foreign countries like in all other countries and they need to be implemented. If they wish to stay, they will have to have their stay legalized. Q: What do you think the future of Pakistan is with Central Asia? A: Pakistan has very close cultural and historical relations with the Central Asian republics. The Sufi/Saints, teachers. etc have been coming from Central Asia to Pakistan, so the linkages are very close. Immediately after the Central Asian republics gained their independence, Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize them and establish diplomatic relations. We feel that a lot more can be done to strengthen those relations, particularly in the economic field. And we hope that once Afghanistan is stable that our trade will flow better.