Importance of reconciliation

Prime Minister Imran Khan has returned to Islamabad after completing his visit to Iran and Saudi Arabia. On many occasions, the prime minister vowed to play a role to lessen the ongoing tensions between the two.

However, this is such a critical time for us, with the federal capital facing yet another challenge in the form of an upcoming long march.

When there is a problematic situation at a larger level, sensible people prefer protecting their home first. There has been unrest and instability in the Middle East region for a very long time. Bringing peace to the Middle East is not an easy task.

Earlier, when the Saudi oil installations were attacked and in response, Iran was accused I had expressed that the mysterious attacks had made the already vulnerable Middle East even more tense. In case of any possible aggression against it Iran will not stay calm and will promptly respond with military action.

As a patriotic Pakistani, I am very concerned on how to keep Pakistan safe in this kind of regional situation. It is very worrisome that India had already deployed its armed forces at our border, and our other border with Afghanistan has been problematic since day one; our third border is with Iran. How will we keep Pakistan safe from the flames of war?

Iran was the first country to recognize us after Independence and always stood by our side in every difficult time. We are thankful to Iran for passing a resolution in solidarity with Kashmir and condemning Indian aggression. We would probably not let Iran tackle any critical challenge alone.

Before offering any kind of mediation and facilitation, it is very essential to learn from the experiences and understandings of our friendly countries on the international level. In the global scenario, Pakistan has three important friendly countries – China, Iran and Turkey.

China has always supported Pakistan’s stance on all forums of the world. Whether the Kashmir issue or the economic crisis, China has always kept its doors open for Pakistan. The way China has patiently waited for the peaceful return of the occupied region of Hong Kong and Macao from international imperialism is highly laudable. However, these days China is busy keeping a rather intense focus on the Hong Kong situation.

Turkey is also engaged in countering Kurdish militants. The issue of the Kurds of Northern Syria is a very complicated matter. Just a few days ago, both Turkey and the Kurds were American allies against Isis. The way the US left Kurds alone reminds one of the time when the Soviet Union left Afghanistan in the 1990s. It also reflects that the US changes its priorities after fulfillment of its strategic interests. Therefore, in such circumstances, when our friendly countries are being dragged in regional and internal issues then Pakistan should also keep its people’s interests as the top priority.

The expected long march towards Islamabad has became the talk of town and is resulting in increasing uncertainty and insecurity among citizens. Even the government seems to be in a state of confusion to handle it. In my view, Pakistan is not in a position to afford any kind of confrontation and tussle. If we can make efforts to ease the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran then we should also not feel any hesitation to negotiate with our own countrymen.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his brother Maulana Ata ul Rehman are very well aware of the importance of reconciliation in politics. Every issue of the world can be resolved through dialogue and talk. On the other hand, egoism and non-cooperation increase hatred, unrest and violence. Use of power and offensive language against political opponents can only add fuel to fire.

For Pakistan’s sake, I would like to request the government and opposition both to develop a collaborative approach through dialogue that could result in the betterment of our country, improvement of the national economy and the realisation of a sustainable solution to the Kashmir issue.

Keeping our internal circumstances and regional situation in view, all political parties should avoid the politics of tussle and confrontation.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

Twitter: @RVankwani