US can promote Pak-India dialogue for resolution of Kashmir issue: envoy

WASHINGTON: The United States can play a useful role to promote a dialogue between Pakistan and India for peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States said on Friday. Speaking as chief guest at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University (GWU), Ambassador Chaudhry said that the way forward for both Pakistan and India was to make efforts to address outstanding issues and work towards a peaceful co-existence. “This will help bring peace, stability and prosperity in the entire region,” he said. In his address to the students and faculty on regional and global issues, he presented Pakistan’s perspective on these various regional and international issues. The event was co-hosted by the GW Law School and the Elliot School. The ambassador reflected upon the changing world and the emerging alliances around the world and stressed that in an era of changing global alignments, there was a need for forging closer regional cooperation for attaining economic prosperity. Regarding Pakistan-US relations, the ambassador pointed out that history had shown that both countries had benefitted by working together and it was important to realise that both Pakistan and the US had shared common interests. On the issue of Afghanistan, the ambassador said that both for Pakistan and the US, peace was a common goal to be achieved in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan believed that there was no military solution to Afghan problem. “Instead, a holistic political approach is required in which kinetic actions would only be a part of an overall strategy,” he said, adding that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political solution would pave the way to achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan. The ambassador said that it was important for Pakistan and the US to work together for the stability and security of Afghanistan and the region. The ambassador emphasised that peace in Afghanistan was much more important for Pakistan than any other country in the region. Commenting on the tremendous counter-terrorism efforts made by Pakistan over the last four years, the ambassador said that Pakistan had effectively reversed the tide of terrorism and peace was returning to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). “The displaced people have returned to their homes and resuming their normal life. Pakistan has not only acted against the terrorists, but has also put them on run. This is unprecedented given the fact that the whole region is still grappling with the issue of terrorism,” he added. Ambassador Chaudhry thanked the team of Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, for extending an opportunity of interacting with the young and enlightened audience. Dean Blake D Morant and Vice Dean Edward W Gnehm jointly welcomed the ambassador. In his welcome remarks, Morant appreciated Ambassador Chaudhry’s service for his country and his contribution to making the world a better place through his years in the world of multilateral diplomacy. The event was moderated by Sarah Freuden, Programme Director of International and Comparative Law at the GW Law School. Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry met two Republican lawmakers at Capitol Hill on Thursday and discussed areas of cooperation between Pakistan and the United States and the current state of bilateral relations. Ambassador Chaudhry met Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who also chairs the Senate Committees on Ethics and Veterans’ Affairs. Separately, the ambassador also met with Congressman Joe Wilson, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina who serves on both the House Foreign Affairs and the House Armed Services Committees. In the meetings, the ambassador updated Senator Isakson and Congressman Wilson on the latest developments in the context of Pakistan-US relations. He drew their attention to the marked improvement in Pakistan’s economic outlook and security environment in order to highlight the potential for business-to-business cooperation between the two countries. Expressing his sadness over the tragic events in New York on Tuesday, ambassador Chaudhry said that such barbarous acts of terrorism were a reminder of some of the common challenges confronting both the United States and Pakistan.   Published in Daily Times, November 4th 2017.