SLAMABAD, Apr 24 (APP): Resolution of Kashmir dispute and forging closer relations with Afghanistan have remained the priorities in Pakistan’s foreign policy since independence, for the sake of freeing the Sub-Continent from arms race and realizing the goal of socio-economic development of this heavily-populated region.
The successive Pakistani governments, especially the incumbent one, has made concrete efforts to normalize relations with India, albeit without giving up this country’s decade-old stance on Kashmir.
Before the PML-N government came into power, Pakistan’s ties with its immediate neighbors witnessed historic lows, but the Prime Minister immediately sent a message of peace and cooperation to all of its immediate neighbors – Afghanistan, Iran and India.
“When I assumed office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan in June 2013, for the third time, one of my top priorities was to normalize relations with India. I reached out to the Indian leadership to emphasize that our common enemy was poverty and underdevelopment,” the Prime Minister said and added “Cooperation, not confrontation, should define our relationship.”
With this prime objective, the Prime Minister took a number of initiatives to improve ties with India. Apart from attending the inauguration ceremony of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi, one of his major steps forward came during his address to the United Nations General Assembly where he proposed a new peace initiative with India that included respecting the ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control in Kashmir and pledge by both sides not to resort to the use or the threat of use of force under any circumstances.
As a major move forward, the Prime Minister called for steps to demilitarize Kashmir and agree to an unconditional mutual withdrawal from the world’s highest battleground – Siachen Glacier.
Despite the fact that there has been no positive response from India on Pakistan’s multiple initiatives, Prime Minister Sharif continues to strive for peace.
On a parallel track, he also continued to highlight the Kashmir dispute at all international fora. Pakistan believes that consultation with Kashmiris, who are an integral part of the dispute, was essential to evolving a peaceful solution.
“UN Security Council resolutions have remained unimplemented. Three generations of Kashmiris have only seen broken promises and brutal oppression. Over 100,000 have died in their struggle for self-determination. This is the most persistent failure of the United Nations,” Prime Minister Sharif told the UN General Assembly.
He said a normal and stable relationship between Pakistan-India could be built by adherence to the principles of the UN Charter especially the principle of sovereign equality of States and non-interference in their internal affairs and the right of peoples to self- determination.
“There is no alternative for the two countries, but to resume a comprehensive dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” Prime Minister told the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on October 23 last year.
The Prime Minister, over the past three years, has emerged as a regional leader striving for peace, stability and connectivity to generate economic activity and move forward to end years of poverty plaguing the neighborhood.
“One of the key pillars of my government’s policy is to encourage regional integration and connectivity,” Prime Minister Sharif said at the Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process in December.
The Prime Minister said, “We firmly believe that peace is vital for development, and development is vital for durable peace. Adhering to these principles, Pakistan remains committed to strengthening its relations with its neighbors and regional countries, as well as promoting regional cooperation and connectivity.”
“Our people need peace to prosper. Peace can be achieved through dialogue, not disengagement,” the Prime Minister Sharif told the world leaders at the General Debate of the 17th Session of the UN General Assembly in September last year.
His vision of a peaceful neighborhood gains strength from the guiding precept of Pakistan’s Founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who believed in; “Peace within and peace without”.
“Peace with neighbors will enhance our domestic security and economic growth and development,” the Prime Minister told the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington on October 23.
The most promising element of this policy is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with its US $46 billion package of multiple infrastructure and development projects that will not be confined to China and Pakistan.
Pakistan is also promoting regional energy and infrastructure projects, including the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline project: Central Asia-South Asia (CASA)-1000 electricity project;Â the Kunar Power Project and the Torkham-Jalalabad Road Project.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had a similar desire of having peaceful ties with Afghanistan.
“Working for the achievement of a peaceful neighborhood is a cardinal principle of Pakistan’s foreign policy,” Prime Minister told the Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process on December 9.
In his remarks at a Joint Press Stakeout with President Ashraf Ghani in May last year he said Pakistan had the highest stake in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
“We stand for strong solidarity with Afghanistan. I assure you that the enemies of Afghanistan cannot be friends of Pakistan,” the prime minister said.
Pakistan has also repeatedly extended full support to an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process.
“An enduring peace in Afghanistan will be a distant dream, without an inclusive intra-Afghan reconciliation,” the Prime Minister said.
Despite provocations and little action from across the border, Pakistan has gone a step ahead and assured the Afghan government that all sanctuaries, when found, will be eliminated by direct action.
Any effort by any militant or group to destabilize Afghanistan will be dealt with severely and such elements will be outlawed and hunted down, Pakistan has said.
Pakistan is one of the four countries besides China, Afghanistan and the United States that make up the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghanistan. Pakistan has hosted the meeting of the QCG in Islamabad that brought together the representatives of Afghanistan government and the Afghan Taliban at the dialogue table. The main aim of the efforts is to find solution to the Afghan conflict and ensure peace through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process.
By Shafek Koreishi