Islamabad:
Pakistan on Tuesday said it does not believe in “permanent enmity” with India and urged the BJP-led government to “calmly consider” the future of ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
In a policy statement delivered at the Islamabad Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI), Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan has always pursued “good neighbourly relations” with India.
“To our east, relations with India remain historically problematic. Pakistan does not believe in permanent hostility. 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,” Dar said.
He said Pakistan is always open to constructive engagement through dialogue including all outstanding issues but will never agree to a unilateral approach or any attempt to impose Indian will or hegemony.
“We will take all necessary steps to maintain strategic stability in South Asia and will respond effectively and decisively to the Indian government’s ‘Hindutva’-driven thoughtless military missteps,” he added.
“In our view, as the BJP-led NDA government begins a new term, it is time for a sober reflection on the future of India-Pakistan relations and cross-cutting issues affecting the entire region,” the foreign minister further said.
He said India’s illegal and unilateral actions on August 5, 2019 had adversely affected the environment in bilateral relations. “The onus is on India to take necessary steps to create an enabling environment for purposeful engagement and result-oriented dialogue on all issues,” Dar stressed.
“In this context, it is equally important that India refrains from its relentless smear campaign against Pakistan, ends state support for terrorism and extrajudicial killings on Pakistani soil, and takes concrete steps to move bilateral relations in a positive direction.”
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“South Asia is home to more than one-fifth of humanity. The region is plagued by daunting challenges including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters, environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change,” he further said.
“South Asian countries would be wise to fight these challenges rather than pitting them against each other. We are not only the least economically integrated region, but also the one that ranks lowest in almost every indicator of human development.”
He said the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the only viable platform for regional cooperation and tackling myriad challenges, remained stalled due to the stubbornness of one member country.
“South Asia’s political leaders owe it to their people and future generations to tread carefully and open a new page in regional relations and mutual cooperation,” he asserted.
He said Pakistan’s approach is conceptualised as a “Peaceful Neighbourhood” policy, which essentially seeks to create a peaceful external environment in which the country can assiduously pursue its core objective of sustainable economic development.
Therefore, Pakistan continues to strongly advocate the inseparable link between peace and development, he said.
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Within this framework, Pakistan has consistently sought to foster peaceful, cooperative and good-neighborly relations with all its neighbours and far-flung neighbours, he said.Despite several challenges and at times setbacks, Pakistan’s stance remains steadfast.
“A peaceful, stable, united and prosperous Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s vital interest. From history and geography to faith and culture, language and literature, cuisine and music, no two countries in the world have more in common than Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Dar said.
He said that since the establishment of the Taliban government in August 2021, Pakistan has adopted a pragmatic approach and has focused on practical cooperation aimed at averting a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and promoting the welfare of 40 million Afghan people.
“Pakistan has also prioritized regional cooperation to ensure that our actions are in harmony with the entire international community. Besides emphasizing inclusive governance and respect for the rights of all Afghans, Pakistan also stresses the need to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to launch terrorism against any nation,” he said.
He said Pakistan sincerely hopes that the Afghan Interim Authorities will heed this request and realise that it is in their enlightened interest to take necessary practical steps to address our serious concerns.
“If the vision of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is realized, the rewards of economic cooperation, regional integration and partnerships will be enormous. Not only will the Afghan people benefit immensely, but the benefits of shared prosperity will extend to Central Asia and beyond.”
He said Pakistan has China as its most reliable and dependable friend among its neighbours. “Building strategic cooperation with China in all circumstances is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.”
“It is also a stabilizing factor in the region and beyond. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a transformational project that will contribute to both Pakistan’s economic recovery and regional prosperity.”
Dar said the Prime Minister’s recent visit to China and his in-depth discussions with the Chinese leadership have reaffirmed the strategic importance that both countries attach to this relationship and the pivotal role of CPEC.
“Following the successful completion of 10 years of CPEC, we have jointly agreed to pursue its upgraded version in the coming years. Essentially, our focus will be on industrialization, digitalization, green transition, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.”
“We will do all we can to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan and safeguard CPEC from the machinations of hostile forces. Pakistan-China relations will remain robust and serve the best interests of both countries,” he asserted.
