Cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan Civil Society Organizations for Prevention of Crisis

In recent years, the role and position of civil society organizations in dealing with local and regional crises are seen considering a new approach that requires finding common grounds, exchange of ideas and cooperation among civil society organizations functional in that specific region. Afghanistan and Pakistan have had complex and at times fragile political and security relations and in the meanwhile the two countries are tied in an unavoidable and undeniable trade and economic interdependency. Keeping in view the rapidly changing regional and global approach towards issues pertaining to security, concerns over eruption of crisis between the two neighbors is more than ever before.

Desecuritization, the issue of common water resources and their proper utilization by the two countries on one hand and on the other theorization and encouragement of regional cooperation for transmission of energy from central Asia to subcontinent through Afghanistan are areas where civil society organizations can constructively interfere.

This paper discusses various effective examples of role played by civil society organizations in preventing crises in other countries of the world keeping in view the current capabilities of and existing level cooperation between Af-Pak civil society organizations. It also elaborates practical ways on how civil societies can play their roles in a coordinated manner for preventing eruption of possible crisis between the two countries.

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Dr. Ibrahim holds PhD on Engineering geology, is a lecturer at Engineering Faculty of Ibn-e-Sina Institute of Higher Education since 2011. In addition, he has been an active member of Environment and Natural Resources Monitoring Network (ENRMN) since 2012. He has published numerous researches and publications on Natural Resources, Natural Disaster, Environment and Infrastructural projects in Afghanistan.