Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country has always sought “good neighbourly relations” with India. Dar called for calm reflection on India-Pakistan relations, which have historically been marred by tensions. Dar said Pakistan does not believe in “permanent enmity” with India.
Dar sent a “positive message” to the Indian government while speaking at a seminar at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI). The 74-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said, “To our east, relations with India have historically remained problematic. Pakistan does not believe in remaining enemies forever. We seek good neighbourly relations with India based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
He said Pakistan was always open to constructive engagement through dialogue but did not agree with “unilateral approaches or attempts to impose Indian will or hegemony.”Dhar said Pakistan would take all necessary steps to maintain strategic stability in South Asia and would “respond effectively and decisively to the ‘Hindutva’-driven reckless military missteps of the Indian government.”
He urged the BJP government to reflect on India-Pakistan relations. “In our view, as the BJP-led NDA government begins its new term, it is time to calmly reflect on the future of India-Pakistan relations and the cross-cutting issues that impact the entire region,” Dar said.
“India’s illegal and unilateral action on August 5, 2019 has adversely affected the environment for bilateral relations,” Dar said, referring to the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status and autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Dar said it was up to India to create an enabling environment for purposeful engagement.
Dar advocated for cooperation among South Asian countries and said rather than fighting each other, it would be wise to come together and fight challenges like poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters, environmental degradation and climate change.
He also called China Pakistan’s most reliable and trustworthy friend, adding that “all-round strategic cooperation with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.”
