Rejects US pressure, saying Iran gas pipeline necessary for energy needs.
Outgoing Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Thursday that trust levels between Pakistan and India must be higher if the two countries are to resolve all their outstanding issues, including the crunch question of Kashmir.
Speaking at her farewell news conference on Thursday, Khar said Pakistan was committed to the resolution of all disputes with India through dialogue. “Unfortunately, the required level of trust to resolve issues is not there between the two countries,” said Khar.
Her remarks, which come amidst renewed tensions over the attack on Srinagar, indicate the fragile nature of the South Asian peace process.
The recent killing of five paramilitary police officers in Srinagar and the death of two civilians cranked up tensions in the disputed region, with the Indian interior minister claiming that the attackers might have come from Pakistan.
However, Islamabad has dismissed the charges and warned that a blame game could undermine efforts towards normalisation of ties.
Alluding to recent allegations from across the border, Khar said Pakistan was ‘disappointed’ by the recent spate of hostile statements by some Indian officials.
Referring to Pakistan’s decision to delink trade ties with India from seething political issues, Khar said “We have changed the 40-year old policy. We are not bogged down by the past.”
“The focus of our foreign policy now is on improving ties with our immediate neighbours including India,” Khar remarked saying war is never a solution to any problem.
When asked why, despite Pakistan’s peace overtures, there had been no breakthrough on any of the disputes with India, she replied: “We cannot conduct the foreign policy of any other country.” Still, Pakistan will continue to follow the path of peace and ‘wait till India comes around it,’ she added.
Clarifying the role of the military in foreign policy, Khar made it clear that while the military was consulted on national security and defence-related issues, the country’s foreign policy was formed by the foreign office and not by the General Headquarters. “The military has constitutionally no role in foreign policymaking,” she insisted.
Afghan Reconciliation
Rejecting allegations that the recent release of Taliban prisoners from Pakistani custody would not help in the peace process because released prisoners had joined insurgent groups, Khar said “These are baseless and unsubstantiated claims. Our reports do not indicate that.”
“History tells us that you cannot impose a solution on Afghanistan from outside,” she argued, highlighting that Pakistan’s role was limited to facilitating the Afghan peace process.
Ties with US
Despite hiccups, Khar said Pakistan and the United States have ‘complete alignment’ on many strategic issues, including the future of Afghanistan.
However, she admitted that November 2011 US airstrikes on a Pakistani check post, in which 24 soldiers were killed had been the lowest point in the relationship between the two countries. She also acknowledged that the CIA-led drone attacks in the country’s tribal belt remained a point of contention between Islamabad and Washington.
Answering a question, Khar rejected US pressure on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and said “this is the project that must not be seen as hostility to any other country. Pakistan is pursuing the Iran gas pipeline project because it is vital for its future energy needs.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2013.
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Oh come on..!! don't talk about trust.. India has been back stabbed so many times.. If have trust issues, it perfectly makes sense. Its easy to say, "we will forget our past and move on". But its hard to say, "we will forget other's past and move on. " Try doing it, and then u can talk!