Afghan dialogue in Islamabad postponed

The meeting of Afghan political figures and activists scheduled in Pakistani capital Islamabad early next week has been postponed, organisers said late Friday.

The two-day event, titled “Towards Unity and Trust”, has now been rescheduled for the final week of September. The South Asia Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI), the organizer of the event, issued a statement on Friday, announcing that the change in schedule would provide more time for in-depth and comprehensive discussions during the event.

According to the statement, the meeting will bring together representatives from political groups, civil society, women’s rights activists, and journalists’ associations from both sides, with the goal of fostering mutual understanding, strengthen coordination, and define shared principles for stability, rule of law, and representative government.

Earlier, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special representative for Afghan reconciliation, criticized the dialogue, claiming that its organizers are connected to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.

However, Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on Friday that the government had no involvement in organizing the event.

“It’s a think tank which has invited these people. More important thing is that it is in the open and not a clandestine activity. Since it is a think tank activity, it should not be equated with the State position,” he told reporters at his weekly briefing.

Without naming Khalilzad, he said the issue had been “sensationalized” by some figures on social media.

SASSI Chairperson Maria Sultan earlier stressed that the purpose of the dialogue was to promote peace and stability, adding that the Islamic Emirate and other political parties were not invited in the first round of what she called “Islamabad Process.”