India can’t isolate Pakistan, says Kasuri

LAHORE: Former foreign minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri has said India cannot isolate Pakistan but Pakistan’s intrinsic situation is isolating it from the comity of nations. We need to strengthen Pakistan intrinsically so that we can counter India logically and rationally, he added.

According to a press release he said this while addressing the launching ceremony of one-year postgraduate diploma in Indian Studies at Punjab University’s Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) here on Monday.

Former High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik, Chairman Sahara for Life Trust Abrar-ul-Haq, Dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof Dr Iqbal Chawla, Director CSAS Prof Dr Umbreen Javed, faculty members and students were present.

Kasuri said the resolution of bilateral enduring issues between India and Pakistan could not be war; the only solution of their issues was the resumption of dialogue process between the both. He said China too was not in favour of confrontation between the two and wanted them to sit on the negotiation table.

Shahid Malik said a number of institutions were working in India conclusively on Pakistan. He said a huge number of books had been published on Pakistan in India that shaped the cognizance of researchers.

He said launching an Indian Desk was also a timely initiation that would help researchers, students and policymakers etc to comprehend India’s mind. Furthermore, he said, the only solution to Kashmir issue was dialogue between India and Pakistan a with third-party mediation.

Abrar-ul-Haq said if there was any terrorist activity executed in India; Pakistan and ISI’s hand were named in it. He said, however, it was repeatedly proved that India had her own hands in carrying out terrorist attacks. He said on the other hand, it has been proved that India had her hands in subverting Pakistan’s security.

Moreover, he said, a new anti-Pakistan narrative was being developed by the so-called intellectuals of Pakistan that was against Pakistan nationalism. By initiating this diploma, he said, a counter-narrative would be inculcated based on patriotism and nationalism.

Prof Dr Umbreen Javaid said introducing the diploma in Indian Studies was the first of its kind in Pakistan. Earlier, the centre has launched the Journal of Indian Studies and the centre was also going to initiate an Indian desk, she added.

Prof Dr Iqbal Chawala appreciated the efforts of Prof Umbreen Javaid for commencing the diploma, holding lectures, conferences and publishing books infrequently. He said that all these efforts would help the experts and intellectuals to understand India’s intensions incited by various organisations working in India as the RSS and Hindutva.