ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Saturday, reiterated that Pakistan has consciously chosen to be only a partner for peace and development rather than becoming a part of any bloc or any conflict.
Addressing the Second Edition of Islamabad Security Dialogue, the foreign minister said that Pakistan wants to move away from the acrimony and toxicity of the past.
“We want to move ahead into a new era of peace and prosperity, and bring the dividends of economic growth and development to our people,” he said.
In line with our emphasis on shifting from geo-politics to geo-economics, he added that we are advocating peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation.
“Pakistan’s location makes it a natural hub for economic confluence for competing states. Rather than becoming the part of any bloc or any conflict, Pakistan has consciously chosen to be only a partner for peace and development,” he added.
“We are positioning Pakistan as an economic hub, a melting pot for positive global interests. Centred on economic security, our focus remains on enhancing connectivity, development partnerships, and peace within our borders and beyond.”
He said that the Foreign Ministry is actively pursuing these objectives through various tools of diplomacy such as economic diplomacy, public diplomacy, digital diplomacy, and science diplomacy.
“We are determined to build partnerships beyond our traditional associations. Outreach to Africa has been intensified and our relationships with ASEAN, EU and others are being qualitatively upgraded,” he added.
He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the hallmark of Pakistan’s all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China, is contributing to Pakistan’s economic turnaround, in addition to promoting regional connectivity and prosperity.
“We envision Pakistan emerging as the gateway to Western China, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. We are endeavouring to reap the peace dividends in Afghanistan in the form of enhanced connectivity and trade,” he added.
After 40 years, he added that there is no internal war in Afghanistan and one government controls the entire country. This presents a unique opportunity to stabilise Afghanistan and build sustainable peace, he added.
He said that the international community can achieve that by engaging with the Afghan authorities, unfreezing Afghanistan’s financial reserves, and reviving reconstruction and sustainable development of Afghanistan.
“It is imperative that international assistance to Afghanistan is scaled up, to help address the humanitarian and economic crises faced by the Afghan people and contribute to their socio-economic wellbeing,” he said, adding that it is also incumbent on the Afghan authorities to positively respond to the expectations of the international community with regard to inclusivity, human rights including women rights and girl’s education, and the threat of terrorism.
He stated that Pakistan will continue its efforts in support of the fraternal Afghan people as part of our commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan.
He said that Pakistan is a responsible country striving for peace, prosperity, and connectivity in the region. In principle, he added, Pakistan is also ready to consider East-West connectivity to help address challenges of poverty and underdevelopment in South Asia.
“For that, we obviously need a willing partner that demonstrates good faith, and is committed to creating an enabling environment for meaningful engagement…Unfortunately, we face a toxic mix in India: an extremist ideological regime, which thrives on anti-Muslim hate and hostility with Pakistan, and will do anything to retain its predominantly Hindu electoral support base,” he added.
He said that the recent firing of a supersonic missile by India into Pakistan’s territory reflects India’s disregard for aviation safety, as well as, regional peace and stability. “This incident is consistent with India’s irresponsible conduct. It must be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council,” he added.
Despite provocations, he said that Pakistan continues to act with maximum restraint and responsibility. “It is evident that durable peace, security and development in the region hinge on a peaceful and just resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he added.
He said that India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5th August 2019 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), accompanied by unabated repression of Kashmiris, have seriously undermined the prospects of peace.
He said that India must halt violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the IIOJK; reverse its unilateral and illegal actions including the demographic changes in the occupied territory; and implement the UN Security Council resolutions, which guarantee the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
“India must also rethink its policy of fomenting destabilization in Pakistan and embrace a progressive agenda that can benefit the entire region…The onus remains on India to create an enabling environment,” he added.
About crisis in Ukraine, he said that it reflects a failure of diplomacy. “We believe that all efforts must be made for the immediate cessation of hostilities to avoid further loss of life, and to address the humanitarian situation. The current situation is posing an unprecedented threat to international peace and security, and global economic stability,” he added.
He pointed out that prices of energy and food commodities in the international market have skyrocketed, adding that supply chains have been disrupted to the detriment of developing countries.
He said that Pakistan has maintained a principled and non-partisan position on the matter. “We have consistently emphasized the fundamental principles of the UN Charter including non-use and threat of use of force; respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states; and peaceful settlement of disputes,” he added.
He said that Pakistan has also reached out and maintained contact with all sides, adding that Pakistan has also sent humanitarian assistant to Ukraine –a country with which we have our friendly and cooperative relations.
“We believe that a diplomatic solution through dialogue and negotiations is indispensable – and must be pursued as a matter of priority,” he added.
He said that the recent OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting urged both sides to engage in a meaningful dialogue and expressed willingness to facilitate it.
He said that Pakistan is committed to peaceful co-existence and cooperative multilateralism for win-win outcomes. “Pakistan’s outlook and trajectory are fundamentally transformed. While confident of our security and defence capabilities, our priorities are increased trade, investment, energy security, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges,” he added.
He said that Pakistan will continue to support an equitable and inclusive global order, where no one is left behind. “We strive for a world of peace, progress, and prosperity, in which benefits of development are shared by all,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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