Pakistan's Deputy PM Advocates for Non-Perpetual Hostility Towards 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. Dar made these remarks at a seminar at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).

Dar emphasised that Pakistan has always sought "good neighbourly relations". He stated, "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."

Focus on Constructive Engagement

The foreign minister highlighted Pakistan's openness to constructive engagement through dialogue on all outstanding issues. However, he stressed that Pakistan would never agree to "unilateral approaches or attempts to impose India’s will or hegemony". This stance comes after Pakistan downgraded its ties with India following the Indian Parliament's suspension of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

India has maintained that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan but insists that Islamabad must create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement. Dar urged the BJP-led government to reflect on ties with Pakistan as it starts a new term.

Challenges in South Asia

Dar pointed out that South Asia faces numerous challenges, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and climate change effects. He said, "Rather than fight with each other, it would be prudent for the South Asian nations to combat these challenges."

He noted that South Asia is not only the least economically integrated region but also ranks low on almost all indices of human development. He claimed that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a platform for regional cooperation, remains stymied due to "obstinacy of one member state".

Regional Cooperation and Stability

Dar stressed that Pakistan's approach is conceptualised in the "peaceful neighbourhood" policy. He said Pakistan has consistently strived to have peaceful, cooperative relations with all countries in its immediate and extended neighbourhoods. Despite challenges and setbacks, Pakistan’s approach remains steadfast.

He highlighted that a peaceful, stable, united, and prosperous Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s vital interest. Dar mentioned that since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Pakistan has focused on practical cooperation to avert any humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and ensure the wellbeing of its 40 million people.

China-Pakistan Relations

Talking about China, Dar said Pakistan considers China its most trusted and reliable friend. "Our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy," he said. He added that this partnership is a factor of stability in the region and beyond.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was described as a transformational project contributing both to Pakistan’s economic turnaround and regional prosperity. Dar mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent trip to China where they agreed to pursue an upgraded version of CPEC focusing on industrialisation, digitalisation, green transition, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.

He assured that Pakistan would do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan. Dar concluded by expressing hope that Afghan Interim authorities would take practical steps needed to address serious concerns regarding terrorism.