On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called upon India to take the first step towards an Indo-Pakistan friendship. This statement was made during his speech at the inauguration of the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue, the first edition of an annual security discussion that was organised by the National Security Division and several think-tanks that comprise the Advisory Board of National Security Committee. The discussion saw the participation of several international academics, members of the Pakistani Federal Cabinet, former government officials, think tanks, and civil society members.
While making the address, Khan said that the Kashmir conflict stands as the only “unresolved issue” that obstructs a friendly relationship with India. To this end, he urged India to grant Kashmiris their rights under the United Nations resolution, which calls for a referendum in the region. He added that he had made several attempts to settle the issues with India. However, following the abrogation of the special status that was enjoyed by Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, he said that “there was a total breakdown between the two countries.”
Moreover, he said that furthering peace in the region would also be highly beneficial for India, as it would provide it more unfeterred access to Central Asia, a region that houses five resource-rich countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. He said, “If there is movement towards the resolution of Kashmir through dialogue, the whole region will change and there will be big benefits to both countries – benefits for India because there is great poverty there. So if poverty is to be removed then our trading and economic ties must be strong and our regional connectivity should increase.”
In this regard, he spoke of his vision of “comprehensive national security”, which he said will be achieved through “traditional and non-traditional” means, and further “economic prosperity and human welfare.” He said, “We cannot become a secure nation when a small rich minority is surrounded by the sea of poor people. National security is achieved when a nation stands up to secure itself.” Hence, he claimed that for Pakistan to take “full advantage of its geo-strategic location”, regional peace needed to be achieved. He said that regional peace is also necessary for improvement in other issues, including “climate change, food security, and economic matters.”
This is not the first time the two countries have spoken about the need to achieve friendly bilateral relations. Just this Monday, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla said that the onus of creating a “conducive atmosphere for a meaningful dialogue” remained with Pakistan. He reiterated that India continues to be “committed to addressing issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully.”
That being said, last month, speaking about India’s longstanding conflict with Pakistan at a weekly press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that any resolution of the issue would require Pakistan to abandon its support for terrorism. He said, “Our position is well known. India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. The onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment.” Moreover, he reiterated that no bilateral agreements or dialogues between the two countries can be achieved unless these conditions are fulfilled by Pakistan.
This came in response to Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s statement in which he called for a peaceful resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir conflict. Bajwa said, “Pakistan and India must resolve the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion.” He further added, “We stand firmly committed to the ideal of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. It is time to extend a hand of peace in all directions.”
Khan’s comments are the first since the two sides agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on February 24. Hence, Khan’s comments could prospectively be an indication of an easing in relations between the two sides. However, one must remain wary of expecting this to resolve deep and underlying issues between the countries, particularly given how previous ceasefire objectives have failed to achieve their objective.
Pakistani PM Imran Khan Says Onus on India to Mend Relations
Addressing the Islamabad Security Dialogue, Pakistani PM Imran Khan called on India to take the first step to mend bilateral ties by resolving the Kashmir conflict.
March 18, 2021
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS