On a three day visit to Kolkata, Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit explained his country’s position on a whole range of issues in an interview with The Hindu.
As you are discussing the options to enhance trade relations in the meetings with the chambers of commerce in Kolkata, would you like to share if there is any development regarding the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement (for seamless cross border movement of goods and passenger) among the member countries?
The Agreement faced with some problems in Nepal (in last Summit) and we submitted some amendments to the draft to the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. It would be circulated to all member countries and we expect to iron out the differences. When Foreign Secretary Mr Jaishankar visited Islamabad recently we did discuss these issues. Pakistan is very serious about regional connectivity and it is also very high on the priority list of the Prime Minister Modi…so we will be able to make it happen, I’m sure.
Meetings with Mr Jaishankar was reportedly very cordial…
We have not been able to agree on how to move forward. But there were mutual goodwill, a desire to move forward. We are working on how we may do that. There are some proposals from Prime Minister Mr Modi to Prime Minister Mr Nawaz in a letter. From our perspective, we have been saying that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, we have a composite framework in place which is comprehensive and takes care of our mutual concerns…terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, so let us start in that direction.
In the letter are there things to do with “reinventing of wheel?”
Mr Modi has not said so. I think, Indian side is comfortable with the composite dialogue…I have not heard that they are not. [However] In Pakistan we are not in a hurry to have a dialogue with India because we also feel India should be given time to decide. Also, we are too much engaged with pressing terrorism issues in our western borders and we would like our regional partners and international community not to create problems for us…if there are tensions along the LoC, on the working boundary, it would complicate things further.
Other SAARC members like Afghanistan talking to Pakistan after a gap. What do you think about that?
We are glad that things are changing between Pakistan and Afghanistan in a constructive way. But we are not against India-Afghanistan relations. You are two sovereign countries, it is up to you. But as we said what ever you do…ishould help our struggle against terrorism.
But Afghanistan is little bypassing India to talk to Pakistan…
Not really. It is not bypassing any country. Pakistan and Afghanistan’s relationship is unique as they share a long border, cultural and religious commonalities and (have) families on either side. The country (Afghanistan) was under huge stress since Soviet occupation and the issue of Afghan refugees (in Pakistan) also needs to be sorted…Our focus at the moment is terrorism and how to help Afghanistan, under their own leadership and reconciliation plan. We are just facilitating that, to the extent we can. It is up to Afghanistan to see where and how Pakistan can be relevant…so it is not against India-Afghanistan relationship. Your relationship should complement Pakistan Afghanistan relationship…
There is controversy brewing again about your meeting the Hurriyat leaders.
We need to engage with all the stakeholders, when it comes to Jammu and Kashmir. From our viewpoint, it is not possible to arrive at a solution without taking them on board and thus we continue to look for ways to solve the issue.
We you like to comment about Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi’s bail and related developments?
We get very surprised as how the hype is created when ever Lakhvi gets bail. It is a judicial process and will take its own course…Samjhauta Express got derailed and Swami Aseemanand was given bail, we have never raised a question about that or lodged any protest. The prosecution in Pakistan is trying its best on basis of all the evidence that we received from India and I am sure things will be decided on merit, so let us wait in stead of creating hype.
