Executive Director CISS, Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi appeared on Channel 5’s program Diplomatic Enclave to talk about Pakistan’s foreign policy issues. He broadly talked about the approach of new PTI’s government to address these issues.
Explaining the twenty first Century environment of foreign relations he said that the world has moved beyond the politics of zero-sum game, blocks and alignment of the past century. To backup this assertion, he said that although China is a close friend of Pakistan, it has developed friendly ties with India. Whereas the Russian Federation, who has been a historic ally of India, is now warming up with Pakistan.
He said that the United States who have been a major ally of Pakistan have now developed a strategic relationship with India. This phenomenon holds both the opportunities and challenges for Pakistan.
Amb. Naqvi said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has formed an advisory group of few retired foreign secretaries and ambassadors including Aziz Chaudhary, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Salman Bashir, Inaam ul Haq, Riaz Khokhar and Ali Sarwar Naqvi. In this group’s meeting with the Foreign Minister, Pak-US relations, Pak-Afghan, and Pak-India relations are focused.
He added that Pakistan is standing at a new crossroad where it is looking at ways to gain more on the diplomatic front. Pakistan has been focusing on the diplomatic solution of Afghan issue. He said that we can make progress on the Afghan solution as the US has also realized that there is no military solution for it.
On Pak-India relations, he said that Pakistan has taken a smart and genuine initiative of finding peace with India as reflected by the initiative to open the Kartarpura Corridor taken by Pakistan. India found itself at a difficult situation that how to respond to Kartarpura initiative as the Sikh community is in its favor. The ball is in the Indian court.
On the Pak-US relations, he said that Pakistan’s relations with the US are important as the US is still the largest global military and economic power. He emphasized that the US was not doing any favor to Pakistan by offering funds to but compensating for using its land and air corridors. However, the suspension of the US military support to Pakistan is a bad omen.
Amb. Naqvi also said that Pak-China ties are important and CPEC is flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative. He stressed upon the need of increasing connectivity in the region.
