ISLAMABAD, Mar 18 (APP):Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday said while resolving to protect its vital national security interests, Pakistan was shifting its emphasis from geo-politics to geo-economics besides calling for preferring cooperation over confrontation.
The foreign minister, in his keynote speech at Islamabad Dialogue here, said the enhanced trade, investment, energy security, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges were Pakistan’s higher priorities.
“Our primary interest is in sustaining a peaceful, stable and prosperous world order, that takes everyone on board and leaves no one behind. We call for shedding zero-sum perspectives, and for preferring cooperation over confrontation,” he said in his address at the third session of the high-level event.
He reiterated that Pakistan would remain committed to peaceful co-existence, cooperative multilateralism, and win-win outcomes besides supporting a rules-based and inclusive global order, for advancing the shared objectives of peace, progress and prosperity.
He told the audience that the world was going through a profound transformation as new security partnerships were being forged and old alliances being further fortified.
“Policies of ‘containment’ are once again ascendant, perhaps sowing the seeds of a ‘New Cold War’. Globalization and multilateralism were severely undermined by unilateralism and sharpening geo-political tensions. Major power competition has become distinct,” the foreign minister remarked.
Qureshi said the mix of old and new conflicts and disputes was threatening peace and security in different parts of the world. Amidst these complex global dynamics, threats are being magnified by some in order to justify their relentless arms build-ups and hegemonic designs, he added.
“The misplaced notion of ‘net security provider’ is being applied in our own region, in disregard to the legitimate security interests of others. New and emerging technologies are being weaponized at breakneck speed,” he said.
Moreover, he said the frontiers were being constantly pushed in the outer space, cyber space, and in the domain of Artificial Intelligence. Disinformation and fake news is being spread as tools of statecraft.
“Terrorism in Pakistan has been actively sponsored, aided and abetted from across our borders. The introduction of destabilizing weapons systems in our region, coupled with offensive doctrines and a growing propensity for military mis-adventurism, is accentuating challenges to strategic stability,” Qureshi stated.
He said despite all these developments around Pakistan, marked by turbulence and volatility, the vision of Naya Pakistan by country’s leadership was focused around economic security – for the well-being and welfare of its people.
He told the gathering that Pakistan’s location made it a natural hub for economic confluence for competing states. Rather than partake in geo-political competition and rivalries, Pakistan is advocating co-existence and win-win cooperation.
He said Pakistan had decided not to be a part of any regional conflict and has consciously chosen to be only a partner for peace and development.
He said recently, Pakistan hosted the Navies from 45 countries in a multinational naval exercise – with members of NATO to Russia and China among its participants.
Specifically, he said Pakistan was calling for inclusive and cooperative approaches based on enhanced economic partnerships.
“We are positioning Pakistan as an economic hub and melting pot for positive global interests. Centered on economic security, our focus is on the three pillars of: connectivity; providing economic bases as development strategy; and peace within our borders and beyond,” he said.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said in order to leverage the economic potential of the country, multiple variants of diplomacy were being actively employed by the foreign ministry – including economic diplomacy, public diplomacy, digital diplomacy and science diplomacy.
New avenues are being explored beyond our traditional partnerships, expanding to Africa through the “Engage Africa” Initiative. Economic outreach to ASEAN and EU is being qualitatively upgraded, he remarked.
Qureshi reiterated that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was the quintessential connectivity project. Pakistan offers the shortest route to international seas to the western parts of China, and to the Central Asian Republics, through the Karachi and Gwadar ports.
“We envision Pakistan emerging as the gateway to landlocked Central Asia and Afghanistan. We will endeavor to reap peace dividends in Afghanistan in the form of enhanced connectivity with Central Asia,” he added.
Recounting Pakistan’s steadfastly support for an Afghan-led an Afghan-owned peace process, the foreign minister said it was imperative for the Afghan parties to seize this historic opportunity and work together to secure an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.
Regarding South Asia, he said durable peace, security and development in the region hinged on peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He said India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and the ensuing military siege and indiscriminate repression of Kashmiris, caused incalculable damage to the prospects of peace.
He urged India to stop violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in IIOJK; halt its illegal attempts to change the demographic structure in the occupied territory; and implement the UN Security Council resolutions which guarantee the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
He also asked India to rethink its policy of fomenting destabilization in Pakistan and embrace a progressive agenda that can benefit the entire region.
“In essence, the onus is on India to create an enabling environment,” Qureshi added.
