India has constantly connected the idea of discussion to Pakistan discontinuing its backing for cross-border terrorism and taking credible action against terror organisations.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that Pakistan was working on a peace plan with India, which would have seen New Delhi announce’some form of roadmap’ for the Kashmir issue & Islamabad welcome the Indian Prime Minister in 2019.
The idea had the support of then-Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, and Pakistan had proceeded forward with it despite India’s decision to end Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019, Khan stated.
Khan, whose relations with Bajwa have soured since the military stopped backing his government and he was deposed in a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022, also chastised the former army chief for allegedly speaking to the media about Pakistan’s military not being equipped or prepared for war with India.
Relations between Khan and Pakistan’s strong military, which has dominated the country for almost half a century, are at an all-time low, especially after supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party damaged and vandalised multiple military sites during rallies in May.
When asked about the alleged peace plan devised by Bajwa, which included the resumption of the truce along the Line of Control (LoC), trade discussions, and a prospective visit by the Indian prime minister, Khan stated that he does not believe in resolving disputes by military force.
Imran Khan stated that he had no recollection of the trade discussions. Imran Khan just knows that there was meant to be a catch. India was expected to make some kind of concession to Kashmir, and then he was scheduled to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pakistan. But that never happened. As a result, it never progressed any farther. That was the case.
Several recent reports in Pakistani media have referred to Bajwa advocating such a peace initiative, including the Indian prime minister’s visit to Pakistan, which ultimately fell through.
There was no immediate response from officials to Khan’s remarks.
The question of discussion has been consistently connected by foreign affairs ministry to Pakistan stopping its support for cross-border terrorism and taking correct & investigational action against terror organisations.
Following many rounds of covert back-channel discussions by security officials from both countries, re-established the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control in February 2021.
Referring to the 2019 Pulwama suicide attack, which killed 40 Indian troops and pushed the two countries to the brink of war, Khan said Pakistan had returned the Indian Air Force pilot who was shot down at the time because it was clear that escalation between two nuclear-armed countries was unthinkable.
Though Khan had accepted a plan for limited trade with India in his role as trade minister, he later reversed his decision due to criticism from his cabinet.
Pakistan will likely cut diplomatic ties with India in response to the change in Kashmir’s status and opted not to station a high commissioner in New Delhi.
What should Pakistan have done? Accept the condition as it is? Or do you genuinely support the people of Kashmir who have made such sacrifices? That is what Pakistan has decided. Imran Khan stated that he did his best prior to then to improve their ties with India. Indeed, his first comment was, “India should take one step towards Pakistan, and Pakistan takes two steps towards India.”
While recognising that Bajwa had told him that Pakistan was neither equipped or prepared for conflict with India, Khan remarked that even if that was true, for an army general to make such statements is absurd. Even if this is true, what army head would make such dumb statements?
So, on one thing, yeah, General Bajwa would make these remarks, but Imran meant that for an army head, he is effectively admitting, their force is too weak. Such a remark shall never be made. But, more importantly, who wants a war with India? Imran explains that he means, why would Pakistan want to go to war? Why would anyone seek a conflict between the two countries?
He believes that both the countries should resolve their differences through debates & that if they are unable to do so, Pakistan will just continue to talk. However, war is never an option.
