Pakistan's Deputy PM Advocates for Peace and Mutual Respect in Relations with India

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sent a "positive message" to India, stating his country does not believe in "perpetual hostility." He urged the new government in New Delhi to reflect on its future ties with Islamabad. Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), the 74-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader emphasised Pakistan's desire for "good neighbourly relations."

"To our east, the relationship with India has historically remained troubled. Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. 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," Dar said.

Focus on Regional Stability

Dar highlighted that Pakistan has always been open to constructive engagement through dialogue on all outstanding issues. However, he made it clear that Pakistan would never agree to "unilateral approaches or attempts to impose India’s will or hegemony." He stressed that Pakistan would take every necessary step to maintain strategic stability in South Asia and respond effectively to any military misadventure by the "Hindutva-driven dispensation in New Delhi."

The foreign minister also urged the BJP-led government to reflect on its ties with Pakistan. "In our view, as the BJP-led NDA government starts a new term, it is time for a sober reflection on the future of India-Pakistan relations and the cross-cutting issues affecting the entire region," Dar said.

Challenges in South Asia

Dar pointed out that South Asia is home to more than one-fifth of humanity and faces numerous challenges, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and climate change effects. He suggested that instead of fighting each other, South Asian nations should combat these challenges together. He noted that the region is not only the least economically integrated but also ranks low on almost all human development indices.

He claimed that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which is the only viable platform for regional cooperation and tackling these myriad challenges, remains stymied due to "obstinacy of one member state." Dar maintained that political leadership in South Asia owes it to its peoples and future generations to act prudently and turn a new page in regional relations and mutual cooperation.

Pakistan's Neighbourhood Policy

Dar said Pakistan’s approach was conceptualised in the "peaceful neighbourhood" policy. He claimed that Pakistan has consistently strived to have peaceful, cooperative, and good-neighbourly relations with all countries in its immediate and extended neighbourhoods. Despite challenges and setbacks in certain instances, Pakistan’s approach remains steadfast.

"A peaceful, stable, united, and prosperous Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s vital interest. There are no other two countries in the world that share so much as Pakistan and Afghanistan do – from history and geography to faith and culture to language and literature to cuisine and music," according to Dar.

Relations with China

Talking about China, Dar said Pakistan has its most trusted and reliable friend in China. "Our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy." He added that this partnership is a factor of stability in the region and beyond. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a transformational project contributing both to Pakistan’s economic turnaround as well as regional prosperity.

He mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent trip to China. "Upon successful completion of 10 years of CPEC, we have jointly agreed to pursue its upgraded version in the coming years. Essentially, our focus would be on industrialisation, digitalisation, green transition, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges," he said.

Dar also assured that Pakistan would do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan.

Approach towards Afghanistan

Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Dar said Pakistan has followed a pragmatic approach focused on practical cooperation aimed at averting any humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and facilitating the wellbeing of 40 million Afghan people. He stressed that Pakistan has prioritised regional cooperation to ensure its actions remain in sync with the broader international community.

Apart from emphasising inclusive governance and respect for all Afghans' rights, Dar highlighted the need to ensure Afghanistan’s soil is not used for terrorism against any state. He expressed hope that Afghan Interim authorities would see it as their enlightened self-interest to heed this call and take practical steps needed to address serious concerns.

"India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, had adversely affected the environment of bilateral relations," he said. "The onus remains on India to take necessary steps to create an enabling environment for purposeful engagement and result-oriented dialogue on all issues," he stressed.

Dar concluded by reiterating that rather than fighting each other, it would be prudent for South Asian nations to combat their shared challenges together. This approach aligns with Pakistan's consistent efforts towards maintaining peaceful relations within its neighbourhood.