• Qayyum suggests Pakistan may provide military training to BD forces
• Assails Indian role in region

ISLAMABAD: Amid changing regional dynamics and a thaw in relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh after well over a decade, senior PML-N leader and former senator retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum has proposed a confederation between the two countries.

“Both countries can have a constitutional confederation if they so desire and work jointly to make their people economically prosperous,” he said in an interview with a media outlet from Bangladesh.

Gen Qayyum, who is also president of Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, said Pakistan can provide full military training and assistance to the Bangladeshi armed forces. “Our academies and training centres are open for our brothers,” he remarked.

The former senator noted that Pakistan can also learn many things from Bangladesh in population control, industrial growth, commerce, and financial management.

Conflict with India

Answering a question, he said peace with India was possible and could be long-lasting provided India gave right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people as per the UN resolutions, honoured the Indus Waters Treaty and stopped funding terrorism in Pakistan.

He said that with the BJP’s Hindutva philosophy and RSS-dominated radical government in power, peace seems to be a distant prospect at present.

Offering a candid assessment of Pakistan’s strained relations with India amidst the recent conflict and ceasefire agreement, he underscored the need for dialogue to address regional tensions and foster stability in South Asia.

He said the RSS-dominated Hindu leadership spewed venom and fomented anti-Pakistan hate. Extreme radicalism in India has thus made the lives of all minorities, including Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, highly miserable. Atrocities in occupied Kashmir, fatal trans-frontier attacks on Sikh leaders demanding an independent Khalistan, mistreating Dalits and Tamils, destruction of churches in Manipur and interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh have totally isolated India in South Asia.

He said the recent conflict with Pakistan, which had the potential to escalate beyond control, was initiated by India after a false-flag operation. He pointed out that India had triggered largest escalation without any forensic investigation into the Pahalgam shooting.

“They underestimated their adversary and thus suffered strategic humility, which altered the regional equation. False propaganda by their immature media not only mislead their armed forces but also their public and naive short-sighted political leadership,” Gen Qayyum remarked.

“With BJP’s Hindutva philosophy and RSS-dominated radical government in power, peace seems to be a far cry at present,” he noted.

The PML-N leader called for a halt to atrocities in India-held Kashmir and restoration of special status of the territory.

He called upon India to allow military observers of the United Nations present on both sides of the Line of Control to operate and investigate independently all alleged violations of ceasefire.

He said that against an Indo-Israel axis of repression, Pakistan and China have emerged as an axis of deterrence. Pakistan’s conventional deterrence has been legitimised. The Indian doctrine of swift punitive strikes has failed.

He said the BJP government’s policies were very destructive for not only the regional peace but also for India itself. Modi’s government can only thwart disintegration of India by stopping repressive policies and use of brutal force against internal movements like Assam, Kashmir, Khalistan, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, he said.

He recalled that then Indian minister of external affairs Jaswant Singh, who served BJP for 30 long years was ousted just because he had praised Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Mr Qayyum said Pakistan wants to abide by the ceasefire agreement in a letter and spirit and directed its military command not to be provoked.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2025