ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday emphasized the importance of engaging with other countries, including the United States and India, while addressing an event organized by a think tank in Islamabad.
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency, the foreign minister maintained that the country had gone down an “unhealthy path” of disconnect in its recent dealings with some states, adding the situation had not benefitted its foreign and strategic policies.
He said that Pakistan should pursue an “informed and humble” international policy while leaving behind “perceived notions of hyper-nationalism and hyper-patriotism.”
“An internationally isolated or disengaged Pakistan cannot achieve the goals of development and prosperity,” Bhutto-Zardari said while addressing the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.
He expressed concern over the “assault” on the rights of Kashmiris and the recent anti-Islamic comments made by members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, he added: “With an economic integration between Pakistan and India, neither state would be in a position to take an extreme stance.”
The foreign minister also suggested engagement with Indian media and the public, saying it could help Pakistan advance its point of view in the region.
He maintained that Pakistan should act like a bridge among international powers.
“If we engage with other states including the US, we cannot only put across our point of view but also provide economic opportunities to our people besides contributing to reduced tension on the world stage,” he noted.
Bhutto-Zardari also advocated a strong policy of engagement with other countries, including Iran and Afghanistan in the neighborhood, while mentioning changing geopolitical realities.
“We need to see these challenges as opportunities,” he continued. “Engagement is the answer.”
