SPEAKING at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility with India, urging the BJP-led government to do a sober reflection on the future of ties between the two nuclear armed countries. He said we seek good-neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
This sentiment, while not new, serves as a stark reminder of Pakistan’s consistent advocacy for peace in its neighbourhood. Pakistan has always called for peaceful coexistence in order to collectively address the chronic issues facing the South Asian region but the posture from the other side has never been positive. In fact, India has always shown hostility towards Pakistan. It has also been found involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan including using the soil of Afghanistan. However whilst moving forward, Pakistan should not backtrack from its principled position that India will have to create conducive environment for the dialogue and for this purpose it will have to reverse the unilateral and illegal steps of August 2019 in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Then it will also have to bring an end to its terror and oppression campaign in the disputed territory and have to show the seriousness for resolution of this lingering dispute. Resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute is of immense importance for peace and stability in the whole region and the Indian leadership will have to shun intransigence on it. Sustainable peace requires dialogue, and a shared commitment to regional security. Pakistan’s call for constructive engagement must be met with reciprocal gestures, marked by genuine efforts to address grievances and build trust. The onus also falls on the international community to uphold commitments made to the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination.
