Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said India will have to decide on the future course of engagement with Pakistan, adding that Islamabad is ready to discuss all outstanding issues with New Delhi.

“India will have to decide on the future course of engagement with Pakistan but Islamabad is ready to discuss all outstanding issues as it believes wars and hostility provide no solution,” he said in a phone interview with Hindustan Times. The ‘real issue’ between the two sides remains Kashmir, he said, adding that Pakistan is ‘ready to discuss everything’.

“There are several ways we can handle things. One way is we could go to war, both countries have atomic weapons and those who survive can handle the outstanding issues. But it is foolish to think we can go to war,” he said. “The other way is the approach advocated by (Indian national security adviser Ajit) Doval of ‘defensive offence’ where both sides use measures to internally weaken each other. Or we can sit and discuss all issues between us and find a solution.”

“We are ready to discuss everything. We have fought three wars over the past seven decades and we can’t change our neighbours. It is for India to decide. But then elections are coming up in India and may be anti-Pakistan slogans sell in India. Anti-India slogans don’t sell in Pakistan,” the minister said.

Fawad said Pakistan too had concerns about terrorism purportedly backed by India in Balochistan. “Our intelligence agencies believe India is sponsoring the movements in Balochistan and then there is the case of (Kulbhushan) Jadhav… This issue of cross-border terrorism goes both ways,” he said, and added that the real issue between the two countries is Kashmir and that lakhs of Pakistanis back the struggle in Jammu and Kashmir. “Blaming everything on Pakistan is not right, India too should correct its mistakes. Blaming us for the administrative, financial and other problems in Kashmir is ridiculous,” he said.

The minister said it would not be possible for both countries to guarantee that there wouldn’t be terror attacks whenever efforts are made for peace talks. “Our understanding is that the abrupt cancellation of the meeting reflects the confusion within the government in Delhi and the divisions on this issue. You can’t accept (a proposal for a meeting) and reject it within a day,” he added.

Fawad said peace efforts had suffered a ‘big hit’ because of the meeting being called off. “Pakistan and India should have moved forward,” he said, adding that India should take advantage of the current consensus between Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership on foreign policy issues. “The government and military are very close and there have been few occasions when their relations have been as exemplary as now,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s policies are linked to the economy and not security, he said. “He (Khan) wants to bring crores of people above the poverty line and the latest developments have jeopardised peace efforts in the whole region,” he said. “Despite the latest developments, Pakistan is prepared to open the border at Kartarpur to allow Indian pilgrims to access Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. We have completed all the arrangements. This is an issue of the ordinary people, Sikhs and other Indian pilgrims, and an issue of faith. They shouldn’t suffer and we want to formalise the informal proposal the Pakistan Army chief made to (Punjab state minister Navjot) Sidhu,” he said. “We have extended a hand to India but you need two hands to clap. If India doesn’t want to, nothing will happen,” he added.

Published in Daily Times, September 24^th 2018.