Islamabad, July 10, 2015: President Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies, Senator Sehar Kamran (TI) has criticised the joint statement issued by the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India, in the aftermath of the meeting between the Premiers of the two countries in Ufa, Russia. The statement, only mentions the Mumbai case trial, but fails to highlight the lingering Kashmir dispute which is a lost opportunity to illustrate the destabilising role of India in the region.
She emphasized, “Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan and the resolution of the Kashmir dispute lies at the heart of future prospects for regional peace and stability.”
Senator Kamran reiterated that the Pakistani nation supports a peaceful relationship with India, but it could not come at the cost of a destabilised Pakistan. India has been actively and belligerently campaigning against its neighbour and this forum ought to have been utilised to build Pakistan’s case on issues close to its heart, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the cessation of covert Indian activities inside Pakistan, she added.
Senator Sehar Kamran further stated that Pakistan has consistently exercised extreme patience, but India continues to be actively involved in maligning Pakistan, as was evident by the recent string of anti-Pakistan statements by high-level Indian officials, as well as the recent Indian shelling on the Sialkot border; such irresponsible actions have naturally sparked serious concern among the people of Pakistan.