French-German model for Pak-India peace

Ambassadors of two countries share how they buried centuries of hostilities

ISLAMABAD: With the last year seeing the nuclear-tipped, but hostile neighbours come closest to war for over a decade, two western diplomats who have seen each of their countries get ravaged by war before picking themselves up again, suggested that both Pakistan and India will have to settle their territorial disputes on their own and through dialogue.

This was stated by German Ambassador Dr Bernhard Schlagheck and French Ambassador Dr Marc Barety during a question and answer session after delivering a joint lecture on “German-French friendship as the ground for effective multilateralism” to mark the 57th anniversary of the Treaty of Elysee, which brought to an end nearly half a century of hostilities between the two European powerhouses. It also marked the first anniversary of the Treaty of Aachen. The lecture was held at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

The ambassadors stated that after centuries of hostilities and wars between our countries, strong political will and people-to-people contacts paved the way to overcome ‘hereditary enmity’ and establish Franco-German friendship.

This successful reconciliation process might be a source of inspiration for other regions as well, they suggested.

Speaking about the human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir and hostilities with Pakistan, they said that the international community has been raising its voice about the dire conditions in the disputed Himalayan territory, however both the parties (India and Pakistan) have to bring this issue to a logical conclusion through dialogue and utilize political will to establish peace in the region.

“We are mindful of the situation in occupied Kashmir and our head of states have conveyed their concerns to [Indian] Prime Minister Narendra Modi. You cannot expect international community to solve your territorial dispute however the thing which is direly needed from both sides is strong political will,” stressed the French envoy Dr Barety.

He termed opening of Kartarpur Corridor as a big confidence-building measure from Pakistan’s side and such actions could pave the way for a meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.

Dr Barety pointed to other issues which require collaborative approach between the two countries for a resolution, particularly the issue of smog which could cause serious health hazards.

“Instead of blaming each other for causing smog, both the countries must resolve such issues which are affecting citizens across the border, through discussion,” he said.

To another question, the French ambassadors said rising Islamophobia in Europe was due to misconceptions and lack of awareness amongst citizens. Interfaith dialogue at international level and comparative study of different religions was imperative for removing misconceptions about religions and promoting tolerance, he stressed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2020.