ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar outlined criteria intended to reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have been mired in a protracted disagreement and argued for the normalization of relations with India. Pakistan is open to talks, he said.
Speaking at the government-run Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI)’s 51st founding anniversary, Mr. Dar—who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister—stated, “Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility.” We aim to establish amicable relations with India by establishing sovereign equality, mutual respect, and a fair and nonviolent settlement of the enduring Jammu and Kashmir conflict.
Mr. Dar emphasized that India and Pakistan owe it to the people of South Asia to put collaboration over strife and called for a break from the crippling cycle of violence.
He emphasized that in order to address the urgent issues facing the region—which include low human development indices, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, scarcity of food and water, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and climate change—collaborative action was necessary rather than escalating hostilities.
After a time of wait and watch, Mr. Dar’s remarks represented Pakistan’s first official articulation of its policy towards India during Modi’s third term.
Beginning with a harsh position on Pakistan, Modi is expected to be more focused on his domestic agenda given his party’s recent electoral failures and coalition administration. Following a kind tweet from the leader of the ruling PML-N, Mian Nawaz Sharif, who also tweeted his wishes for peace, Modi emphasized that his administration is committed to protecting the “safety and security” of Indian nationals.
“In our opinion, it is time for a serious reflection on the future of India-Pakistan relations and the cross-cutting issues affecting the entire region as the BJP-led NDA government starts a new term,” the minister stated.
In a forceful voice, he cautioned that although the nation is still ready to extensive discussion on all unresolved matters, it will not submit to unilateral demands or allow India to pursue hegemony.
“We’ll also do everything in our power to preserve strategic stability in South Asia, and we’ll respond swiftly and forcefully to any misguided military action by the ‘Hindutva’-led government in New Delhi,” he threatened.
