LAHORE : SAARC CCI Senior Vice President (SVP)
Iftikhar Ali Malik Sunday, hailing Chinese offer of trilateral dialogue to
help de-escalate tensions between nuclear armed archrival India and
Pakistan said any positive role that the Chinese government plays to bring
peace and stability in South Asia can be fruitful and prosperous for the
common people of the region.
In his statement issued here Sunday, he said it is need of the hour that
both India and Pakistan should strengthen channels for dialogue,
appropriately handle any differences, improve bilateral relations and
together protect the region’s peace and stability and in case the
leaderships of both the countries think they cannot handle differences
through bilateral dialogue then China, a global superpower, is willing to
play a ‘constructive role’ in mending relations between India and Pakistan.
He said “There is a need to strengthen Pakistan intrinsically so that we
can counter India logically and rationally.” He added, “India cannot
isolate Pakistan but Pakistan’s intrinsic situation is isolating it from
the comity of nations.” He said that China was not in favour of
confrontation between the two countries but it wanted them to sit on the
negotiation table.
He said China has deepened cooperation in trade, investment and agriculture
in SAARC since it became an observer in 2006. Chinese investments into
South Asia amounted to $30 billion and Chinese loans at concessional rates
to South Asia amounted to $25 billion. Besides this, China was giving
10,000 scholarships for South Asian students, apart from providing skills
training to thousands of other.
He said India and Pakistan are important South Asian countries but the
“situation in Kashmir has attracted the attention of the international
community”. “Hostility and aggression is not solution of any problem.
Pakistan and India have fought three wars since gaining independence from
British rule in 1947. Two of those wars have been over Kashmir. Kashmiri
resistance groups have been fighting against Indian rule for independence,
or for unification with Pakistan. More than 70,000 people have reportedly
been killed in the conflict since 1989. India maintains more than half a
million troops in the disputed region,” adding he said despite this, India
has imposed Governor rule in occupied Kashmir to suppress the voices of
Kashmiris.
He said if the United States and North Korea can return from the brink of a
nuclear flashpoint, there is no reason why Pakistan and India cannot do the
same, beginning with a dialogue on Kashmir whose heroic people have
resisted and rejected Indian occupation. He said that settlement of Kashmir
dispute was imperative for durable peace in South Asia because it would
bring prosperity to the region and its people would get rid of illiteracy
and poverty.
