ISLAMABAD: Amid stepped-up diplomatic contacts between Kabul, Iran and India to ensure regional peace and stability.
Speaking at a seminar: “Crossroads Asia: Dynamics of Peace and Progress,” in Islamabad, Sartaj Azizi said: “The vision of a peaceful neighbourhood cannot be realised without a qualitative transformation in our relations with Afghanistan, India and Iran,” the dawn.com newspaper quoted Aziz as saying.
Building a peaceful neighbourhood was the cornerstone of foreign policy of the sitting government, he said, adding that complex challenges faced by the region, including terrorism (particularly the rise of the Islamic State militant group) and others needed settlement of regional disputes through “dialogue and political accommodation”.
During his speech, Aziz mentioned specifically his country’s challenging ties with the three immediate neighbours, including Afghanistan, Iran and India.
He claimed Islamabad’s ties with Tehran were on path to improvement while developments in Afghanistan and improvements in socio-economic indicators have been promising.
He called for an end to external interference in Afghanistan, continuous international economic and financial support and avoidance of the mistakes of the past for safeguarding the “precious moment of hope and optimism in Afghanistan”.
He mentioned rise in insurgent activities, narcotics’ production and trafficking and corruption and governance as the continuing challenges in Afghanistan.
The adviser welcomed China’s increased involvement with Afghanistan both at the bilateral and regional planes and said: “Pakistan views this as a welcome development for peace, security, reconciliation and economic progress of Afghanistan.”
He reiterated the negative developments in ties with India since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi in last May, including the cancellation of foreign secretaries’ talks and Indian ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and Working Boundary.
“Indian leadership’s threats of disproportionate use of force portend India’s dangerous desire to create a space for war,” he noted.
Pakistan, the adviser said, would not get involved in arms race in the region, but would staunchly protect its interests, besides maintaining credible deterrence capability.
PAN/Monitor/rm
