India has to make environment conducive for Kashmir solution: We have to set our own house in order, says COAS

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said Pakistan had realised that without setting “our own house in order, nothing good could be expected from outside”.

He was addressing a moot titled ‘Islamabad security dialogue’, organised by the National Security Division here. “We have realised that unless our own house is in order, nothing good could be expected from outside,” he said. Now, after having overpowered the menace of terrorism and tide of extremism, Pakistan has begun to work towards sustainable development and improving economic conditions of under-developed areas,” the COAS said.

General Bajwa said Pakistan was ready to settle all outstanding disputes with its neighbours through dialogue in a dignified and peaceful manner. However, he added, the choice of peace was based on rationality and not the result of any pressure.

“Let me say profoundly that we are ready to improve our environment by resolving all our outstanding issues with our neighbours through dialogue in a dignified and peaceful manner,” the COAS said.

“It is our sincere desire to re-cast Pakistan’s image as a peace-loving nation and a useful member of the international community,” he maintained. He said the Indo-Pak relationship was a key to unlock the untapped potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia.

This potential, however, he said, forever remained hostage to disputes and issues between the two nuclear neighbours. “Kashmir dispute is obviously at the head of this problem. It is important to understand that without the resolution of Kashmir dispute through peaceful means, process of sub-continental rapprochement will always remain susceptible to derailment due to politically-motivated bellicosity,” he added.

However, he felt that it was time to bury the past and move forward. “But for resumption of peace process or meaningful dialogue, our neighbour will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in the Indian Occupied Kashmir,” he said.

He said Pakistan had learnt from the past to evolve and they were willing to move ahead towards a new future; however, all this was contingent upon reciprocity. “Our leadership's vision is Alhamdullilah transformational in this regard,” he said.

He noted that despite being one of the most impoverished regions of the world, South Asia ended up spending a lot of money on defence, which naturally happened at the expense of human development. But, he said, Pakistan has been one of the few countries, which despite the rising security challenges had resisted the temptation of involving itself in an arms race.

“Our defence expenditures have rather reduced instead of increasing. This is not an easy undertaking, especially when you live in a hostile and unstable neighbourhood,” the COAS said.

Referring to the contentious issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), he said unsettled disputes were dragging South Asia back to poverty and underdevelopment. General Bajwa said it was time that synergies were created in South Asia through connectivity, peaceful coexistence and resource sharing to fight hunger, illiteracy and disease instead of fighting each other. He appreciated the National Security Division for identifying the need for Pakistan to have its own security dialogue.

He observed that it was almost universally acknowledged fact that the contemporary concept of national security was not only about protecting a country from internal and external threats, but also providing a conducive environment in which aspirations of human security, national progress and development could be realised.

“Surely, it is not solely afunction of armed forces anymore. National security in the age of globalisation, information and connectivity has now become an all-encompassing notion for elements of national power, global and regional environment also play a profound role.

“A nation at peace and a region in harmony are thus essential prerequisites for attainment of national security in the true spirit and no national leaders of today can ignore these factors,” he added.

He said in the present environment, developing countries like Pakistan faced multi-dimensional challenges, which could not be navigated single-handedly. A similar situation, he continued, was confronted by other countries in the region as well and therefore, they all require a multilateral global and regional approach and cooperation to overcome these challenges.

He said Pakistan’s robust role in the current quest for peace in Afghanistan was a proof of its goodwill and understanding of its global and moral obligations.

“Our close collaboration and crucial support for the peace process has led to the historic agreement between Taliban and the US and paved the way for intra-Afghan dialogue,” he said.

General Bajwa promised that Pakistan would continue to emphasise a sustained and inclusive peace process for betterment of people of Afghanistan and regional peace.

Moreover, besides offering its all-out support to Afghanistan peace process, Pakistan has also undertaken unprecedented steps to enhance Afghanistan's trade and connectivity by re-energising Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement and also providing access to Afghanistan to export its goods to India, improving economic and trade environment along Pak-Afghan border by establishing border markets and development of infrastructure and being part of energy and trade corridors binding Central, South and West Asia through land routes and inviting Afghanistan to be part of CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor].

He noted that the world also knew that Pakistan was geo-strategically placed to become a bridge between civilisations and connecting conduit between the regional economies.

He said Pakistan was a nation with tremendous geo-economic potential. In order to carve a promising future for our people, it is important for it to embark upon a solid economic roadmap, backed up by infrastructural developments and regional integration.

For this purpose, he said Pakistan had been working towards four core pillars which include ‘Move towards a lasting and enduring peace within and outside, non-interference of any kind in the internal affairs of our neighbouring and regional countries, boosting intra-regional trade and connectivity and bringing sustainable development and prosperity through establishment of investment and economic hubs within the region’.

He pointed out that Pakistan had been working towards all four aspects with unity of purpose and synchronisation within various components of national security.

General Bajwa said the Pakistan Army contributed tremendously towards the national cause by rebuilding and mainstreaming some of the most neglected areas through massive development drives besides ensuring peace and security.

“Our long campaign against the tide of terrorism and extremism manifests our resolve and national will. We have come a long way and yet we are a bit short of our final objective, but we are determined to stay the course,” he added.

“CPEC has been at the heart of our economic transformation plan and we have left no quarter to declare its necessity for addressing our economic woes. Our sincere effort is to make it inclusive, transparent and attractive for all global and regional players, with the aim of bringing its benefits to everyone,” he said.

He emphasised that while CPEC remained central to Pakistan’s vision, only seeing Pakistan through CPEC prism is also misleading.

He again pointed out immensely vital geostrategic location and a transformed vision “makes us a country of immense and diverse potential which can very positively contribute to regional development and prosperity”.

However, he said Pakistan’s vision remains incomplete without a stable and peaceful South Asia and efforts for reviving SAARC, therefore, are with the same purpose. “Our efforts for peace in Afghanistan, responsible and mature behaviour in crisis situation with India manifest our desire to change the narrative of geo-political contestation into geo-economic integration,” he said.

He noted that while Pakistan was doing its bid, a major contribution was to be made by the global players through their cooperation. “I am sure that an economically interconnected South Asia is much more suited to them instead of a war-torn, crisis-ridden and destabilised one.

“We also see a hope in the form of incoming US administration which can transform the traditional contestation into a gainful economic win-win for the world in general and the region in particular South Asia can be the starting point for regional cooperation,” he said firmly believing that economic and sustainable human development can guide nations into a future, full of peace and prosperity.