ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Nasir Khan Janjua said on Tuesday that Pakistan and India, being nuclear-armed countries, could not afford hostility for a long duration and would have to invest in peace for progress and prosperity in the region.

He said the neighbours should resolve all outstanding issues between them amicably. The disputes should be resolved now, rather than being left for the future generations. Pakistan had enhanced its strategic capabilities and was maintaining a minimum credible deterrence for peaceful co-existence and balance of power in the region.

Speaking at the opening session of an international conference titled “Promoting Global Peace: Drivers for Transnational Cooperation”, Gen Janjua said the people of Pakistan and personnel of its armed forces had rendered “unmatched” sacrifices in the war against terrorism and for the cause of peace.

The conference was organised by the Global Affairs, an international magazine, and Pakistan House, an independent think-tank based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Pakistanis had been fighting the war against terrorists for the cause of peace in the world, the adviser said, and no other country knew the importance of peace better than Pakistan.

He urged the international community to acknowledge the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan for global peace.

Gen Janjua said the Pakistani nation had shown great resilience in the fight against terrorists despite suffering economic losses amounting to billions of dollars.

He said the nation was making progress and playing a key role for seeking, preserving and promoting global peace despite all the challenges faced by it.

In his speech, Masood Khan, the director-general of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, stressed the need for introducing reforms in the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for achieving durable peace in the world.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2016