ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Lt. General (r) Nasser Khan Janjua, on Thursday, urged nuclear armed and perennial foes Pakistan and India to resolve their disputes and to engage with one another in improving the trust deficit that plagues their relationship.
The retired general was addressing a seminar titled, ‘Peace: A Dividend for Development and Stability in Afghanistan’ in Islamabad, and said that the present relationship between the two neighbouring countries was toxic and not at all good.
He also added that policymakers in Islamabad and New Delhi must question whether they wish to see the two countries remain enemies ‘forever’.
The adviser also said that Pakistan remained committed to peace in Afghanistan, and claimed that Pakistan would continue to work with Kabul to achieve peace and stability in the region.
The former general also lamented the fact that the world had previously abandoned Afghanistan after the then Soviet Union withdrew from the country in 1989. This, he argued, established a vacuum that gave birth to the menace of the Taliban.
He also highlighted the sacrifices Pakistan has made in the War on Terror, highlighting that 22,000 Pakistani soldiers and 35,000 civilians had embraced martyrdom while fighting terrorists.
The adviser also highlighted Pakistan’s growth potential owing to its ideal location, and asserted that Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan must become trade corridors to spur growth in the region.
