A major regional dialogue involving Afghan leaders and women activists will be held in Islamabad on August 25-26, with organisers stressing that the gathering is not against the Islamic Emirate, but is intended to foster peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region.

The South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (Sassi) University is hosting the two-day, closed-door event, which marks the launch of the Islamabad Process.

Maria Sultan, the think tank’s chairperson, clarified that no Afghan political parties or the IEA have been invited to this round, but stressed that future meetings would include broader representation, Dawn newspaper reported.

“The main purpose is to discuss peace and stability,” Sultan said. “This will also provide an opportunity for Afghans to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and adopt a joint stance.”

Earlier, former US envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, labeled the event as “unwise.”

“Afghan citizens are entitled to their political views, but Pakistan’s seeming support of them by hosting their conference is hugely unwise and an intended provocation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Asif Khan Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy to Kabul, said the meeting could serve as an academic platform to understand Afghanistan’s political landscape, as long as it doesn’t reflect bias.

“If it’s an academic exercise, then it’s okay. The purpose should be to appraise yourself with the overall political scenario in Afghanistan without taking sides. Since it’s an open event, the public should know its findings,” Durrani noted.