The participation of India in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project could usher in a new era for prosperity and change in the face of South Asia. Sudheendra Kulkarni, Chairman, Observer Research Foundation, India, shared these views at the panel discussion on Pakistan-India Peace Process and the Sharing of Experiences on Governance and Democracy hosted by Pildat here on February 16.
Kulkarni was joined by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence Riaz Hussain Khokhar, former Foreign Secretary and Saleem Safi Anchor and Senior Columnist, Geo TV in discussing the current state of Pakistan-India ties and options for future co-operation.
In his address, Kulkarni spoke of the CPEC as an economic miracle, one whose dividends would multiply if India were also to participate in the venture. Infrastructure connecting the CPEC to the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Project across Northern India could transform the face of the region and usher in a new era of economic co-operation. However, he said China and Pakistan needed to address Indian concerns on the CPEC project before this could happen. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the 1947 Partition, both countries needed to renew efforts to normalize bi-lateral ties and evaluate their positions by putting themselves in the other country's shoes. In the context of Kashmir, while India had focused on the issue of terrorism, Pakistan had always stressed upon Kashmir as a political issue.
He impressed upon the audience the importance of thinking anew on the problems that had strained Pakistan-India ties in the past, saying that good statesmanship in both countries would depend upon the ability to set aside older grudges. He spoke of many of the initiatives that he had been apart of, chief among which was the campaign that he steered in India called the "Kuch Naya Karein" programme.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, while discussing the theme, spoke about how the idea of a multilateral cooperative framework or a confederation was a pipe dream: Pakistan and India needed to engage on a bi-lateral level before any regional endeavour could be attempted. He also proposed that both nations needed to open the doors for back-channel diplomacy.
Speaking on the issue of Kashmir, he said the people of Kashmir had spoken: the uprising after July 2016 was in fact a de facto plebiscite. He stressed on taking forward the recommendations of the report prepared by the commission led by Yashwant Sinha, Former Minster of External Affairs, India, on Kashmir for a meaning framework for the process of peace building between both countries.
Riaz Hussain Khokhar in his remarks pointed out that the distrust between Pakistan and India currently was at an all time high. Any sort of regional co-operation attempted with India could not meet the same fate as the SAARC Conferences, in which the largest member country had neutralised the multi-lateral forum by boycotting its proceedings. -PR
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