Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa with PM Imran Khan. (File Photo: PTI)
Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has mentioned that it was time for India and Pakistan to ‘bury the past and move ahead’ as he asserted that the peace between the 2 neighbours would assist to ‘unlock’ the potential of South and Central Asia.
Addressing a session of the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue in Islamabad on Thursday, Gen Bajwa additionally mentioned that the potential for regional peace and improvement all the time remained hostage to the disputes and points between Pakistan and India – the 2 ‘nuclear-armed neighbours’.
“We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward,” he mentioned, including that the duty for a significant dialogue rested with India.
‘India wishes neighbourly ties with Pakistan ‘
India final month mentioned that it wishes regular neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an atmosphere freed from terror, hostility and violence. India has mentioned the onus is on Pakistan to create an atmosphere freed from terror and hostility. India has additionally informed Pakistan that ‘talks and terror’ can’t go collectively and has requested Islamabad to take demonstrable steps towards terror teams accountable for launching varied assaults on India.
“Our neighbour may have to create a conducive atmosphere, significantly,” in Kashmir, Gen Bajwa mentioned, including that any effort to enhance ties with out addressing the core situation can be susceptible to exterior political elements.
“The Kashmir situation is on the coronary heart of this. It is essential to perceive that with out the decision of the Kashmir dispute via peaceable means, the method will all the time stay prone to derailment to politically motivated bellicosity,” he mentioned.
The highly effective military, which has dominated Pakistan for greater than half of its 70 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded appreciable energy within the issues of safety and international coverage.
‘India will probably be benefitted economically’
Gen Bajwa’s remarks got here a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan made an analogous assertion on the identical venue. Prime Minister Khan mentioned on Wednesday mentioned India will probably be benefitted economically by having peace with Pakistan as it’s going to allow New Delhi to immediately entry the resource-rich Central Asia area via Pakistani territory.
“India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much,” Khan mentioned whereas delivering the inaugural handle on the launch of the two-day Dialogue. Khan mentioned that having a direct route to the Central Asian area will economically profit India. Central Asia is wealthy in oil and fuel. Central Asia, within the fashionable context, usually contains 5 resource-rich international locations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Gen Bajwa additionally mentioned that peace between Pakistan and India would assist to ‘unlock the potential of South and Central Asia’ by making certain connectivity between East and West Asia.
Though, each Prime Minister Khan and Gen Bajwa didn’t specify the minimal steps that India ought to take however many specialists in Pakistan consider that some constructive measures in Kashmir might ease stress on the Pakistan authorities earlier than coming into into talks or restoring the traditional diplomatic ties.
Gen Bajwa additionally talked about poverty which he mentioned was linked with the regional pressure that had hindered the regional connectivity and integration. “‘Despite being impoverished, we end up spending a lot of our money on defence, which naturally comes at the expense of human development,” he mentioned. However, he added that Pakistan was resisting the temptation to change into a part of the arms race or improve defence price range regardless of rising safety challenges.
“This has not been easy, especially when you live in a hostile and unstable neighbourhood. But having said that, let me say 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,” he mentioned.
READ MORE: India, Pakistan agree to observe all ceasefire pacts
India and Pakistan had introduced on February 25 that they’ve agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire alongside the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and different sectors. Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror assault on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror teams based mostly within the neighbouring nation. Subsequent assaults, together with one on Indian Army camp in Uri, additional deteriorated the connection.
The relationship dipped additional after India’s conflict planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist coaching camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror assault through which 40 CRPF jawans had been killed. The relations deteriorated after India introduced withdrawing particular powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August, 2019.
READ MORE: Peace with Pakistan will give India direct entry to Central Asia: Imran Khan
