‘False narratives damaging Pak-India relations’

DUBAI: Instead of a tit-for-tat diplomacy, building collaborations, enhancing safety and bolstering economy were perceived to be the key steps for future dialogues between India and Pakistan.

Diplomats, journalists and activists from both the countries deliberated on diplomacy and dialogue here at a session of the 3rd WION Global Summit, foreign medias reported on Friday.

While panelists on both sides agreed that the Kashmir issue has attracted a lot of media attention and drawn response from the international community, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former foreign minister of Pakistan, said: "We could do things bilaterally, although diplomacy can be difficult at times." General secretary of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ram Madhav said the people of Jammu and Kashmir should see development coming to their doorstep.

Kasuri said the neighbouring countries were close to a resolution on the Kashmir issue a few years ago.

Panelists on both sides concurred that false narratives on Kashmir have time and again been propagated, and that has been damaging for both countries.

India's former chief of army staff General (R) Joginder Jaswant Singh said: "Many countries have nuclear capabilities but the world does not want a war. The world is working towards stabilising things, not catastrophe," he added. "We could do things bilaterally", said Reham Khan, international journalist, TV host and author.

Urging people to move away from propaganda and focusing on humanitarian aspects were perceived as the future of the relations between India and Pakistan.