Pakistan-India Relations To Remain Security-centric Till Resolution Of Kashmir Issue: Abdul Basit

Former High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit Friday said relations between Pakistan and India would remain security-oriented till the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issue.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Dec, 2018 ) :Former High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit Friday said relations between Pakistan and India would remain security-oriented till the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Speaking at an interactive session titled 'Indo-Pak conundrum and the way forward' here at the Islamabad Press Club, he said security-centric approach between the two countries was a major reason behind their mutual mistrust, which was also an impediment to the resolution of Kashmir's longstanding issue.

High Commission Abdul Basit said the Kashmir issue could not be put on back-burner and rejected the notion that pursuing the Kashmir agenda was impacting the region's socioeconomic development.

"For Pakistan, it is not just a matter of territorial importance, but relates to the lives of Kashmiri people who are suffering at the hands of India's state terrorism," he said.

He said anti-India sentiments among the people of Indian occupied Kashmir were growing, adding that Pakistan needed to make more efforts in mobilizing the international community on grave human rights situation in the Valley.

He said India always exploited the resumption of dialogue process against Pakistan by linking it with terrorism.

The high commissioner said political parties in India were using the anti-Pakistan rhetoric to win the upcoming elections, leading to a persistent drag in relations between the two countries.

Basit said as former diplomat, he believed that though Pakistan's foreign policy objectives were in right direction, however, the tools of diplomacy need to be improved for better results.

The interactive session was attended by senior journalists of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.