ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has said that Pakistan plays a key role for ensuring peace and prosperity in the South Asian region.
In her speech on “Role of Pakistan in Regional Peace and Prosperity” at an International Conference on “Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Future Prospects and Regional Connectivity” organized by the Centre for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS) in Islamabad on Tuesday, Tehmina Janjua said that Pakistan has always been a globally pivotal state.
Tehmina Janjua said that Pakistan is the only Country in the World which waged a successful war against terrorism. She said that not only Pakistan’s geo-strategic location is of high significance but we are also a nation of over 200 million people.
Emphasizing on four aspects of the modern World, the foreign secretary said that today the World is moving from unipolar to multipolar while the role of a super power remains intact in the shape of the United States; though, she added, Russia and China also stand as extremely important and powerful components.
The foreign secretary said that International norms have now been changed which were designed after the World War II.
Turning towards the recently escalated Pakistan-India brawl, she said that the Indo-Pakistan tension started after the Pulwama attack which had nothing to do with Pakistan as it was done by a young Kashmiri boy of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
Tehmina Janjua said that without any investigation, fingers were raised against Pakistan from India as a purpose of gaining political point-scoring internally as they are set to face general elections from next month.
The foreign secretary said that India tried to compromise our sovereignty but we responded with responsibility. She said that we acted only when India violated our borders for the second time. She said that we shot down an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet but handed over back to India their captured pilot as a peace gesture.
“Any confrontation between two nuclear states is unacceptable,” she remarked.
Tehmina Janjua further said that Pakistan has taken all possible steps including the opening the Kartarpur Corridor for regional peace. “We initiated all steps to normalize the tense situation,” she said.
Tehmina Janjua said that peace is the demand of this region; however, South Asia has Kashmir conflict which is the biggest obstacle for regional peace. She said that India is purging Kashmiris in the Occupied Valley, and we continue to raise this issue at the United Nations Forum.
Furthermore, she asserted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want their right of self-determination, they need to decide their future but the Indian occupation is the highest issue.
The foreign secretary also said that the Pakistan-Afghan border is also facing a chaos since decades. She emphasized on a comprehensive dialogue process to bring a lasting peace in the war-stricken Afghanistan.
Tehmina Janjua said that Russia and China are also playing a significant role for the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution to the decades old war.
In addition, she said that Pakistan and China are working for the capacity building of the Afghan people. She added that Pakistan is fencing its border with Afghanistan to ensure closure of places which can be used by terrorists to infiltrate.
The Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua further said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of the Chinese President Xi Jinping is playing a pivotal role to enhance capabilities of this region.
Earlier, the President Center for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS) Major General (retd) Syed Khalid Amir Jaffery delivered the Opening Remarks at the Conference.
Khalid Jaffery said that SCO is a power house and it has immense opportunities for the people of the region.
The president CGSS said that Pakistan accords high priority to his all Central Asian friends. He said that this Century is being the Asian Century, and the region is turning into a globally developed and economically strong.
The senior representatives from the SCO Member States and Observer States including Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Iran and Belarus will also speak in the conference.
