Against the backdrop of Indian attempt to malign Pakistan and mounting tension across the Line of Control, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has stated in categorical terms that Pakistan was the one pressing for amity and it was New Delhi that was upping the ante. “We don’t take political mileage through hostile narratives,” she said adding that Islamabad believed in keeping the doors open for dialogues rather than speaking through public and media. Speaking at a discussion titled ‘Pakistan’s Democratic Journey’ organized by a New York based think tank, she expressed her views saying it is deeply disturbing to hear statements where one politician was competing with the other to give a more hostile statement. Hina Khar also warned that such hostile attitude between two nuclear-armed neighbours would harm the efforts to make South Asia free of tension. Although she did not mention the statement of the Indian army chief who hurled a threat that if needed the Indian forces could launch an offensive against Pakistan. It is expected that the leadership on both sides of the fence would act with wisdom and try to resolve the crisis that has the potential of ending in an armed conflict. The flag meeting between Indo-Pak military commanders was aimed at reducing tension.
The other issue that cropped up during the discussion was when the moderator asked Hina Khar if Pakistan considered the Haqqani network its asset, she vehemently denied saying that anyone who held this view did not represent Pakistan. The moderator then referred to an interview of COAS Gen Kayani with the New York Times in 2008. The Foreign Minister retorted that the army chief no longer held that opinion. She was right when she said Pakistan was willing to repatriate three million Afghan refugees to Kabul which included Haqqani as well. But the US expressed hesitation over our proposal. It is unfortunate that despite having done so much for the return of peace to war-torn Afghanistan, Pakistan is being blamed unnecessarily.