ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: Hanns Seidel Foundation’s (HSF) scholarship initiative for talented Afghan refugee students, Hanns Seidel Scholarship Program (HSSP), organized an interactive Democratic Skills Development Workshop on Pakistan-Afghanistan Region: Historical and Cultural Routes for its scholarship holders.
HSF Pakistan and its implementing partner National Dialogue Forum (NDF) jointly held the international workshop in Islamabad on November 17, 2022. The event was supported by three eminent Afghan civil society representatives and subject experts.
The former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Pakistan, H.E. Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, extended his gratitude to the people of Pakistan for hosting millions of refugees for more than four decades. He remarked:
The governing systems of the Pakistan-Afghanistan region have been significantly shaped by historical, cultural, and religious influences. The lack of trust between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan must be repaired via dialogue. The key to bringing both countries together is the educated youth of this region.
Mr. Zia Ul Haq Amir Khel, the former governor of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, discussed the reasons behind Afghanistan’s political and governmental system collapse. He stressed the following:
Afghan refugee students must invest a great deal of efforts in their studies and multiply those efforts by connecting with youth back in Afghanistan, who do not have such opportunities. I hope those who have opportunities will return to Afghanistan with new knowledge, ideas, and skills to contribute to regional connectivity and the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
