Book launching at ISSI: Ex-envoy Jilani for reviving dialogue with India

ISLAMABAD: The former caretaker foreign minister and ex-ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday called for reviving the dialogue process between India and Pakistan, saying any disengagement in this regard could ignite serious conflict in a nuclearized South Asia.

Speaking at a book launching ceremony, organised by Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), he outlined six specific recommendations: (i) resumption of Pakistan-India dialogue; (ii) revival of discussions on all issues – from the core Jammu and Kashmir dispute to Siachen, Sir Creek and terrorism; (iii) revival of Kashmir-related CBMs; (iv) respect for and adherence to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in letter and spirit; (v) establishment of permanent mechanism to address nuclear-related issues and (vi) revival of the SAARC process for regional cooperation.

The India Study Centre (ISC) at the ISSI organised the launch of a new ISSI book, titled, Critical Issues Facing South Asia: Politics, Security, and Non-Traditional Challenges.

Jilani noted that the subjects forming part of the book included myriad dimensions of Pakistan-India relations and a number of cross-cutting regional issues, which were very relevant and had currency in discussions among diplomatic as well as political circles.

In the context of terrorism – for instance – he underlined that Pakistan was not alone in suffering from state-sponsored terrorism, other South Asian states including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal were also victims of terrorism inflicted on their lands from a common neighbour – India.

He also highlighted the salience of nuclear issues between Pakistan and India and, recalling the firing of a nuclear-capable missile from India in March 2022, stressed that it could have resulted in a larger conflagration if Pakistan had not reacted with tremendous restraint.

In his remarks, DG ISSI ex-ambassador Sohail Mahmood said that engagement with NextGen scholars was part of the ISSI’s new vision. The ISSI recognises the youth as one of the key stakeholders and seeks to proactively draw the next generation of experts into the policy discourse with new ideas and fresh perspectives.

“This is important to help them develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the intricate issues at hand, enabling the next generation to make informed and insightful evaluations and suggest innovative approaches for addressing long-standing challenges in South Asia,” he added.

In this context, he added, ISSI is happy to serve as a vital platform for fostering new ideas and amplifying the voices of young scholars, duly mentored by senior academics and seasoned practitioners.

Mahmood lauded the innovative methodologies, sharp analyses, and creative solutions offered by the young authors in their papers and thanked the ISC team for spearheading the project.

Dr Shabana Fayyaz, the chairperson of Department of Strategic Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad said that emerging technologies had been feeding insecurities of adversaries against one another and causing greater threat perceptions.

“The message one can draw from this book is that, amid increasingly complex regional scenarios, regional countries need to utilise their indigenised sources instead of looking up to extra-regional powers to bail them out,” she added.

Dr Asma Shakir Khwaja, the executive director of Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) said “the innovative thoughts that young minds have produced on critical issues have the potential to turnaround geopolitical landscape of a most populous, yet least connected region like South Asia.”

She also presented an overview of the chapters while offering her insights on the subjects. She agreed that drone technology carried both benefits as well as threats in terms of security, and needed to be closely dealt with.

Similarly, regulatory framework was required at regional level to prevent security threats stemming from Artificial Intelligence, she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024