India ‘must address Kashmir issue to become part of CPEC’

NSA chief says Balochistan insurgency has been marginalised

KARACHI: National Security Adviser (NSA) Lt-Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua on Friday conditioned India’s inclusion in the multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project to the resolution of outstanding dispute on Kashmir.

“If India wants to become part of the corridor, it must first step forward and resolve Kashmir issue,” said Janjua while speaking at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs.

The topic was: ‘Pakistan’s Security Environment and Future Projections’. The adviser also addressed the issues of how we are seen in the world, what is the reality behind it, what are our main security challenges and responses and what are the state's future projections.



A large gathering of diplomats, foreign policy analysts and media personnel attended the function.

Janjua said: “The world must tell India to do so. The animosity has to go out of the window – for the sake of wellbeing of the people.

“How long do we need to fight and struggle against the other? Before (eyeing) military and economic interest, it must see and address the human interest and resolve the Kashmir dispute.”

The adviser called out for cooperation and not competition, stressing, "The next generation will do it, I hope."

Going further into his talk, he said, CPEC will provide great connectivity to the world.

While addressing the Balochistan issue, he said there had been a change in heart and mind of the people of Balochistan, because of the power of love.

“We address their issues; lick their wounds and concerns of sense of deprivation. These are honoured, valuable people. The insurgents are sitting abroad. They are the only ones left to win over.”



Janjua said the government had addressed the root cause of the Balochistan issue which was ‘sub-nationalism' and added that while picking up the ‘head of the octopus’, “we have resolved the issue of lack of integration, sense of deprivation, insurgency and terrorism".

“Largely, as I see insurgency has been marginalised. The state is ready to reconcile with such people, if they come forward and don't hedge on it. They should come forward and equally play their part in the country's politics.”

He said Balochistan was the area where the national flag was being burnt, but now once again it was being raised, and added that “we have connected with the people”.

Janjua said: "We are a Muslim country, suffering from extremism. Terrorism has made us an insecure county, at the global level. Because we are a nuclear state, other world countries fear that our nuclear weapons may fall in terrorists’ hands. Also, we are poor economically. Some view us as playing a double game in case of Afghanistan and by claiming we are supporting the Taliban.”



Through the slides, he proved what a beautiful country this is, with mountains, hills and its people. He said, "We are largely misunderstood. We are acting as a frontline state of the world, rendering sacrifices since the last four decades, from the times Afghanistan was invaded and the demise of USSR."

He asked the audience a simple question, "Did we ask the Soviets to invade Afghanistan? Surely, we had nothing to do with that.”

On the same note he said, "Nobody send their soldiers to fight the USSR in Afghanistan. Pakistan stood by its neighbour.”

Addressing the issues of Fata, Karachi and Balochistan, he said the operations carried out by the armed forces has resulted in lessening terrorists activities like bombings, with great many of these happening in February 2014.

Earlier on he claimed, “Had Taliban been made part of the election process, would they be counting votes or fighting as terrorists? Who lost that opportunity?”

Janjua said, “The fallout of the war against terrorism has greatly affected Pakistani, in huge numbers, with losing as many as 40,000 of its civilian to 5,000 of its armed forces.”