Pakistan's new security policy seeks ‘peace' with India: Report

Security Issues Other Non Traditional Threats

14-Jan-22

Context: Peace with India and its immediate neighbors is set to be the central theme of Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy.
Key Point

Pakistan’s (official) policy now leaves the door open for trade with India even without the settlement of the Kashmir issue – provided there is headway in bilateral talks.
Earlier, Kashmir used to be at the centre-stage of all Pakistani outcry.

About their New Security Policy

The country’s new policy would act as an umbrella document, to be used as a guideline for Pakistan`s foreign, international and defence related policies.
The five-year-policy document, which will span 2022-26, is being touted by the Pakistan government as the country’s first-ever strategy paper of its kind.

Key highlights

Focus on trade: The 100-page policy document has also put out elaborate plans to open trade and business ties with India.
Silent on Kashmir: Kashmir issue with India has been identified as a ‘vital national policy’ issue for Pakistan.
No public discussion: Only a part of the national security policy will be made public.
Defying hostility with India: The document states that Pakistan is not seeking hostility with India for the next 100 years.
Curbing militancy: The new policy also deals with the issue of militant and dissident groups and advocates dialogue with ‘reconcilable elements.’
No re-conciliation with India: There are no prospects of rapprochement with India under the current government.
Others: On the internal front, the new policy identifies five key areas of population/migration, health, climate and water, food security and gender mainstreaming.

Significance of such policy

Pakistan and India have mostly been at loggerheads with each other throughout history.
During the first term of Narendra Modi in 2014, the relations took a positive turn when he announced his intentions to have cordial relations with Pakistan.
He had also visited Islamabad in 2015 unannounced to attend a marriage ceremony in Ex-PMs family.
However, the relations deteriorated following the horrific 2016 Uri attacks.

Road Ahead

Pivotal equations between India and Pakistan will continue to be dominated by Kashmir, the ongoing proxy war and terrorism. It is unlikely that this prevailing equilibrium is likely to be reset by this classified policy document. That too overnight.The India-centric security obsession will remain the core of this policy.