Challenges and Prospects in Foreign Policy Decision-Making Process: Pakistan and Afghanistan in the Wake of Afghan Peace Process

Abstract

Since 1947, when Afghanistan initiated the Pashtunistan issue and refused to accept the
Durand line as Pakistan and Afghanistan's legitimate border, relations between the two
countries have been strained. The peace agreement signed by the US and the Afghan
Taliban has been widely criticized and has nearly reached a breaking point in less than
two months. Rather than involving all conflict parties to better resolve ground realities,
the US drove a wedge between the current government and the Taliban by not
including the current government in the peace deal, resulting in major challenges
between the two states. If the Taliban are included in the government following intraAfghan dialogue, future relations with Afghanistan can be optimistic and constructive.
Peace in Afghanistan will also usher in a period of reconstruction in which Pakistan can
play a key role. Economic cooperation and collaboration can decisively meet the
challenges faced by the Pak-Afghan government, and if the concept of economic
interdependence with the approach of a non-zero-sum game is implemented between
the two states, the future of Pak-Afghan relations can be productive and profitably
profitable for both states.