ISLAMABAD (CU)_Pakistan’s army chief on Thursday (18 March) called on regional rivals India and Pakistan to “burry the past” and forge ahead in cooperation, following the unexpected joint ceasefire between the two countries along the Line of Control (LOC) in the disputed region of Kashmir last month. However, General Qamar Javed Bajwa added that it was up to India to create a “conducive environment”, particularly in the Indian-occupied Kashmir.
“We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward,” he said in a speech at a conference in Islamabad.
“But…our neighbour (India) will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in Indian-occupied Kashmir.”
In a rare joint statement issued on 25 February, the militaries of both countries announced an immediate ceasefire along the disputed border in Kashmir, in hopes to achieve “mutually beneficial and sustainable peace”.
According to General Bajwa, the key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia is by developing a stable relationship between India and Pakistan. He further noted that peace with Islamabad will economically benefit New Delhi as it will enable India to directly access Central Asia through Pakistani territory.
“It is sad to know that even today it [South Asia] is amongst the least integrated regions of the world in terms of trade, infrastructure, water and energy cooperation,” he said. “On top of it, despite being impoverished, we end up spending a lot of our money on defence, which naturally comes at the expense of human development.”
Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla noted that while New Delhi desires good neighbourly ties with Islamabad, however, the burden is on Pakistan to create a favourable atmosphere.
“If any, bilaterally but any meaningful dialogue can only be held in a conducive atmosphere and the onus is on Islamabad to create it,” he said.
Furthermore, the Foreign Secretary pointed out that “talks and terror” cannot go hand in hand and that the neighbouring nation should take significant steps against terror groups which launch attacks on India.
