Foreign policy: In dealing with India, PM insists on ‘peace diplomacy’
Nawaz Sharif directs incoming foreign secretary to improve ties with Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday instructed the incoming foreign secretary, Abdul Basit, to aggressively pursue efforts to improve ties with India and Afghanistan.
Basit, who was named Pakistan’s foreign secretary this week, met the prime minister to discuss major foreign policy issues.
An official familiar with the meeting told The Express Tribune that Nawaz has directed Basit to pursue ‘peace diplomacy’ with India to ensure that the stalled peace process between the two new nuclear-armed neighbours resume soon.
His efforts to seek rapprochement with India comes amidst heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over repeated ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC).
Despite ongoing skirmishes along the LoC, such statements indicate the Nawaz administration’s belief that pursuing the peace process is the only solution to de-escalate the situation.
The premier recently met his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York and both sides agreed to work out a new mechanism to avoid repeated ceasefire violations at the LoC. However, India refused to resume the stalled composite dialogue until the ‘right atmosphere’ was created for peace talks.
Meanwhile, the official said that the prime minister has also asked the new foreign secretary to improve ties with Afghanistan by making all-out efforts to facilitate the Afghan-led reconciliation process.
Basit, who would replace Jalil Abbas Jilani after he was named as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, will likely take charge of his new responsibilities in the first week of November.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2013.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday instructed the incoming foreign secretary, Abdul Basit, to aggressively pursue efforts to improve ties with India and Afghanistan.
Basit, who was named Pakistan’s foreign secretary this week, met the prime minister to discuss major foreign policy issues.
An official familiar with the meeting told The Express Tribune that Nawaz has directed Basit to pursue ‘peace diplomacy’ with India to ensure that the stalled peace process between the two new nuclear-armed neighbours resume soon.
His efforts to seek rapprochement with India comes amidst heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over repeated ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC).
Despite ongoing skirmishes along the LoC, such statements indicate the Nawaz administration’s belief that pursuing the peace process is the only solution to de-escalate the situation.
The premier recently met his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York and both sides agreed to work out a new mechanism to avoid repeated ceasefire violations at the LoC. However, India refused to resume the stalled composite dialogue until the ‘right atmosphere’ was created for peace talks.
Meanwhile, the official said that the prime minister has also asked the new foreign secretary to improve ties with Afghanistan by making all-out efforts to facilitate the Afghan-led reconciliation process.
Basit, who would replace Jalil Abbas Jilani after he was named as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, will likely take charge of his new responsibilities in the first week of November.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2013.