Afghanistan

Written evidence from the
Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention

on behalf of Mrs. Elay Ershad MP (Afghanistan), Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP (Afghanistan), Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP (Afghanistan) and
former MP Ms. Bushra Gohar (Pakistan)

Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention

1. The Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention was launched at the European Parliament in October 2008. It is an international, non-partisan network with a growing membership of nearly 150 parliamentarians from over 40 countries.

2. The Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention is an initiative of the EastWest Institute, an international, non-partisan, not-for profit policy organization focused solely on confronting critical challenges that endanger peace. EWI was established in 1980 as a catalyst to build trust, develop leadership, and promote collaboration for positive change. The institute has offices in New York, Brussels, Moscow and Washington. [1]

3. Members of the Parliamentarians Network are actively working to address existing gaps in the development of national and international conflict prevention architecture and policies and to explore ways to enact conflict prevention measures across the globe.

4. The Parliamentarians Network organizes a wide range of activities to provide parliamentarians with the necessary expertise to act efficiently in the relevant fields of conflict prevention and human security. Recent activities include the first-ever delegation of Afghan women parliamentarians to Pakistan and the first-ever official delegation of Pakistani women parliamentarians to visit Kabul. [2]

5. The Parliamentarians Network consulted its members regarding the UK Defence Committee inquiry and received input and first-hand evidence from the following members: Mrs. Elay Ershad MP (Afghanistan), Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP (Afghanistan), Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP (Afghanistan, Member of the High Peace Council) and former MP Ms. Bushra Gohar (Pakistan).

Afghanistan: the transfer of responsibility for security in Afghanistan to Afghan Forces:

6. Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP and Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP from Afghanistan confirm that the progress and achievements made in Afghanistan are in large part due to the support that their country has received from the international community, which includes the UK government. At the same time, they remind that, in order to have a peaceful security and political transition in Afghanistan, their country will continue to need the support of the UK government.

7. Another concern raised by Afghan women parliamentarians refers to the severe shortage of female police officers which could keep women from vote in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. Voting is segregated and women female forces are needed to carry out the required body searches for women voters entering polling stations. The international community should therefore dedicate special teams to complement the ANSF and to allow for an inclusive election to take place.

Afghanistan: the capacity of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to provide protection for ISAF forces during the withdrawal and for international forces providing continuing support such as training:

8. In order to determine where there is need for improvement and what the international forces could do to provide support, the international community should conduct a thorough evaluation and continuous assessment of the ANSF’s capacities.

9. Although ANSF is committed to protecting the Afghan people, Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP and Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP from Afghanistan say, the recently increasing numbers of incidents causing casualties shows that there is a need of improvement for ANSF in many areas:

a. the ANSF (Afghan National Police (ANP), the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the National Directorate of Security (NDS)) needs longer, more advanced training than their current sessions;

b. the ANSF needs more sophisticated military equipment – including heavy weapons – given the fact that they are often facing insurgents with more military capabilities and with more advanced weapons than they possess; Mrs. Elay Ershad MP from Afghanistan suggest that ISAF do not withdraw their heavy weapons but train the Afghan Military instead how to use them.

10. Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP and Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP from Afghanistan also express the desire for the ANSF to become capable of assuming a role beyond counter-insurgency especially since Afghanistan’s geography leaves it vulnerable to outside forces.

11. With regard to the Afghan National Police (ANP) in particular, Mrs. Elay Ershad MP from Afghanistan highlights the need to recruit more female police officers. Incentives for women to join the police forces could be stimulated by affirmative action and by providing women with:

a. Transportation to their workplace

b. Childcare (kindergarden)

c. Housing

Progress on providing enablers for the ANSF such as medical support, logistics and air support

12. Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP and Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP from Afghanistan highlight the ANSF’s need of more medical evacuation facilities.

13. Mrs. Elay Ershad MP stresses the need of Afghanistan to have an air force.

Pakistan: prospects for future political and security co-operation with Afghanistan and Pakistan’s role in reconciliation and peace-building, including mediation with the Taliban

14. Ms. Bushra Gohar, former Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, stresses that the peace process must be Afghan led and owned. At the same time, Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP and Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP from Afghanistan would like the support of the international community for a series of regional and international dialogues on Afghanistan, that includes all stakeholders and facilitates a regional peace process. This should result in a long term commitment to Afghanistan's social, political, economic and security progress.

15. For both Pakistani and Afghan women parliamentarians, compromise on women's rights in any negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan is unacceptable. [3]

16. Both Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians stress the need of including women into all reconciliation and peace-building processes, in accordance with paragraph 1 of the UN Security Council resolution (S/RES/1325) on Women, Peace and Security that "[u]rges Member States to ensure increased representation of women at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict; […]".

17. Afghan and Pakistani women parliamentarians therefore insist that a minimum of 33% of representatives at all levels of the reconciliation and peace-building processes are women. They furthermore request the international community, including the UK government, to commit to the meaningful representation of women at all levels of the peace process by holding the Afghan government accountable for such inclusion.

18. Ms. Bushra Gohar, former Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, stresses that the ongoing efforts to accommodate the Taliban in the Afghan government should not be at the cost of the Pakhtuns freedoms and rights. She also reminds that the Taliban must not be viewed as sole representatives of Pakhtuns but as those who are holding the Pakhtuns hostage. The Taliban must renounce violence and accept the Afghan Constitution.

19. Mrs. Shinkai Z. Karokhail MP and Mrs. Golalei Nur Safi MP from Afghanistan see Pakistan in a key position to bring the Taliban leaders to the negotiation table with the Afghan government. As a precondition for such a commitment, the Pakistani government, especially the army and the Pakistani Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), need to acknowledge that the stability of Afghanistan is beneficial for both countries, as stability will be a precondition for a flourishing economy and normalization between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

20. Given the strong relations between the UK and Pakistan, Afghan women parliamentarians see the UK government in a strong position to convince the Pakistani government that Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work together during the political and military transition and the peace process.

Ms. Bushra Gohar, former Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, opines that Pakistan's role in mediation with the Taliban is to be limited. She highlights the need to include other national, regional and international stake holders in the mediation process.

October 2013