‘Afghan dialogue’ in Pakistan postponed, say organisers

ISLAMABAD: A much-anticipated dialogue of “Afghan activists and political leaders” scheduled in Pakistan early next week has been postponed, organisers said late Friday.

The first regional dialogue titled “Towards Unity and Trust” was originally planned for August 25–26 in Islamabad but has now been rescheduled to the last week of September, according to a statement issued by Dr Maria Sultan, Chairperson of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) University, and Fawzia Koofi, President of Women for Afghanistan (WFA).

Koofi, a former member of parliament from Badakhshan province who now lives in exile, is one of the key organisers of the event.

The two-day dialogue was postponed amid controversy sparked by former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and opposition from the Afghan Taliban government.

The organisers said the rescheduling would allow more time to make the event “in-depth and comprehensive.”

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

Described as Afghan-led and Afghan-centred, the initiative aims to strengthen cooperation with Pakistani civil society, policymakers, and academia as part of what organisers call the start of an “Islamabad process” to build trust and develop people-centric approaches to regional challenges.

In a tweet, Khalilzad had earlier claimed Pakistan would host anti-Taliban leaders and urged Afghans not to attend, suggesting the dialogue was organised by security agencies. His remarks drew criticism from several Afghans, including Koofi, who accused him of trying to undermine discussions on Afghanistan’s future.

Foreign Office spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said Friday the government was not involved in organising 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 Taliban and other political parties were not invited in the first phase.