KARACHI: Pakistan-India war won’t benefit either side: official
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 3: The possibility of a war between India and Pakistan could not be completely ruled out in view of escalating tension between the two countries.
This was stated by the Mansoor Alam, Director-General, Foreign Service Academy, while giving his personal views on the current stand-off between India and Pakistan and the Afghanistan situation at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs on Thursday.
The occasion was the visit by the participants of the 21st specialized diplomatic course. They included representatives from China, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Tunisia besides Pakistan.
“The possibility of a war is there but very little,” said Mr Alam who has served as ambassador in Moscow, Egypt, UAE and other places.
Giving his views on the desirability and reality of Pakistan’s options in the evolving situation, he said the world leaders were very much concerned over mounting tension. The international community was engaged in Afghanistan and was not prepared for any distraction in its on-going campaign there, which could happen in case of the conflict.
He was of the view that in a nuclearised South Asia, Indo- Pakistan war could leave much more devastating impact.
The international community feels that the war between India and Pakistan might escalate into nuclear confrontation with wider implications in the region as well as internationally.
He said by and large people in both the countries realize that war would not be beneficial to either side.
Director-General of the Foreign Service Academy termed the Dec 13 attack on the Indian Parliament as “very foolish act” and said the incident created sympathy for India.
He also referred to the Indian accusations, targeting Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Mohammad. India had used the same argument which the US used in the context of Afghanistan under Taliban.
One of the reasons for the current Indian military build-up could be that New Delhi wanted these organizations to be dismantled and was also pressuring Pakistan to stop support for the Kashmiris and try to seek solutions through other means. He also dealt with the question of proof.
Responding to question on the Kashmir dispute, he said India is a guilty party that had not fulfilled the commitment on the issue and not implemented the UN Security Council resolutions in this respect.
The DG FSA said that Pakistan had adopted a consistent policy on Kashmir issue to resolve it on the basis of right of self- determination to the people of Kashmir in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
With regard to Afghanistan, the director-general was of the view that the current policy of the government following Sept 11 incident saved the country from being isolated. His contention was that had Pakistan not adopted this policy, it would have been isolated internationally.
“For us not only that not much choice was left, but we under the circumstances took the right decision,” he said, adding whether or not Pakistan had agreed to become partner in campaign against terrorism, the US would have done what it had done now. But in that case Pakistan would have been more isolated.
Mansoor Alam also recounted the economic benefits and financial breathing space Pakistan got as a result. In those contexts, he referred to rescheduling of debt-servicing, access to wider market etc.
He also believed that the Bonn accord would help towards restoration of peace and law and order and installation of a broad-based multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan.
He dilated on the significance of perceptions in shaping foreign policy stance and referred to international attitude owing to Pakistan’s policy, vis-a-vis Afghanistan.
He said that collapse of Taliban was an embarrassment even for their supporters. He believed that the current situation in Afghanistan would prevail owing to fatigue factor, creation of ethnic balance as a result of the Bonn Accord and international community’s focus on Afghanistan.
Earlier Anwar Jamal Kidwai, a senior member of PIIA, spoke on the global trade to the tune of 5.5 trillion dollars. Of this the share of the African countries was about 100 billion dollars of export and 110 billion dollars of imports.
He said that Pakistan’s export to the African countries in the year 2000-01 had remained 491 million dollars whereas import was to the tune of 362 million dollars.
Nausheen Wasi of the PIIA spoke on the Afro-Asian security and economic situation, In this context, she referred to flashpoints in Asia and Africa.
The Chairman of PIIA, Fatehyab Ali Khan, enlightened the delegates on the role the PIIA has played as think-tank on foreign policy matters.
