• Kakar says India ‘flirting with West’ in bizarre attempt to contain China
• Alvi calls on UN to prevent disputes from escalating into wars

ISLAMABAD: Talking about the situation on the western border, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday defended the policy of repatriating illegal Afghan immigrants, saying that issues would start to settle the day Kabul would have a legitimate government.

He acknowledged that non-state actors were posing a security threat to Pakistan, while identifying the lax implementation of the rule of law, weak governance, proxy warfare, weak economy and low preference to human development as the main causes of internal strife.

The caretaker prime minister expressed these views while speaking at the Margalla Dialogue, organised by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) with the theme of ‘Evolving World Environment: Chartering the Course for our Future’.

Mentioning the rise of India as an economic power in the region, Mr Kakar observed that Pakistan had no problems if peace was institutionalised and irritants such as the Kashmir dispute were addressed. Kashmir was an impediment in India-Pakistan relations, he noted, adding that the right of Kashmiri people to decide their future could not be denied for long.

“Neither Pakistan nor India should impose a solution on Kashmiris,” he said, adding that Pakistan did not incentivise conflict as India did.

The caretaker premier sought a world order that promoted connectivity in the region and called upon India to be part of it.

Attempt to ‘contain China’

Talking about new regional security alliances such as QUAD, the Indo-Pacific strategy, and the rise of China and Pakistan’s strategic alliance with Beijing, PM Kakar said India was flirting with the West in a bizarre attempt to contain China.

He refuted the impression that Pakistan should choose between China and the United States, and advocated a foreign policy that took into account tangibles on both sides and was balanced in approach.

He also talked at length about the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and con­­demned Israel for atrocities, and questioned how many more casualties of children shall be needed to appease the “anger of Israel”.

New UN role

Addressing the inaugural session of the annual dialogue, President Arif Alvi called upon the UN to evolve a new cardinal role in working for peace and a just society based on value of emancipation and humanity. There was a greater role of the UN in waging peace initiatives to prevent disputes from escalating into conflicts and an effective mechanism to stop wars, he said.

Earlier, President Alvi and the guests in attendance observed a one-minute silence for the innocent people of Palestine who faced the barbaric acts of Israel.

Dr Alvi pointed out dehumanising people had become a norm in the world where vested interests prevailed over humanity. He said war was not a solution to resolve any conflict, the APP adds.

Using the right of veto against the cessation of war questioned the ethical standards of the countries concerned, he said. In Gaza, he said, the massive killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces needed urgent attention by the international community to act and play its role in stopping the bloodshed.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2023