Peace in region impossible sans Kashmir solution: Basit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit Khan has ruled out the notion of both countries going to war. He said, “I strongly believe Pakistan and India do not gain anything from creating hype. War is not a solution, war creates more problems.”

During an interview with Telegraph India, Abdul Basit said that they could perhaps afford not to talk to each other for some time, but addressing many bilateral regional and global challenges could only happen through dialogue.

He said,  “I am not ready to give up on that. We should not allow war hysteria to dominate our narrative.” He said the investigation was yet going on to determine what really happened in Uri so it was important not to draw premature conclusions. It was not helpful to jump to the gun, he remarked.

He said Pakistan had extended all out cooperation after Pathankot incident and things were moving in the right direction. Both countries could prevent the situation from worsening if they really desires. “I am a diplomat, and I would like diplomacy to win. I would not like to believe that bilateral diplomacy has exhausted itself,” Abdul Basit remarked, recalling Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s remarks at the UN General Assembly that Pakistan desired to have normal cooperative relationship with India and resolve all problems peacefully.

He said Pakistan believed that issues should be resolved only through peaceful means and there was no other way. The high commissioner said relations between Pakistan and India were on right track till July 8 when Kashmiri freedom fighter Burhan Wani was killed by security forces in Indian Held Kashmir.

He categorically stated that Pakistan had nothing to do with the Uri attack as it was committed not to allow its territory to be used for violence anywhere in the world. He said problems in Indo Pak ties did not begin with the Mumbai attack, Pathankot or Uri attacks rather they fought three wars and a military conflict over Kargil.

But both countries agreed that there was a long pending issue of Jammu and Kashmir needing resolution. Be it UN Security Council resolutions or even the Simla Accord, both countries agreed on resolving this problem through dialogue, he added. “It is important to understand what keeps bedeviling our relationship and what keeps bringing mistrust between us. We feel it is imperative not to shy away from addressing the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” the high commissioner said.

He said terrorism was an important challenge for both countries that could be met more effectively if they co-operated rather than blamed each other all the time. He said diplomacy could not be conducted through verbosity. Diplomacy has to be conducted on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect and understanding, he added.

Abdul Basit warned that the Kashmir issue could not be brushed under the carpet as was happening in Held Kashmir, in Srinagar and surrounding areas which manifested the seriousness of the problem. Pakistan is not asking for something that is unrealistic or unfair. Kashmir is the central problem between us. I am not saying other issues are not important, they are, but Kashmir, we have to settle, he remarked.

Mentioning various confidence building measures between Pakistan and India, he said both countries should avoid entering a cul de sac. Once we get into a blind alley it will be very tough getting out the envoy warned. Asked to comment on unconfirmed reports of an Indian revenge of Uri attack by a covert cross border strike on some camps, the high commissioner said he didn’t believe any such thing happened.

Pakistan is capable of defending itself, but I wouldn’t like to think things will escalate to that stage. The idea of having diplomatic engagement is to allow those forces which want the two of us to resolve problems and usher in a new era of co-operation. We have to emancipate ourselves from this process of one step forward two steps back. But it requires two to tango, he said.

He said Pakistan and India could still manage their relations in a mature way. I am not thinking of war at all to be frank. But obviously, we cannot be oblivious to our own security requirements. We will defend our country that will be done. But I am confident we will be able to arrest this phase and not allow it to the precipice, he concluded.