Pakistani senators upset over PM Modi's 'aggressive foreign policy’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent foreign policy successes appeared to have caused consternation in the political circles of Pakistan.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent foreign policy successes appeared to have caused consternation in the political circles of Pakistan.
Deeply concerned over what they called 'aggressive' foreign policy moves of India, Pakistani Senators on Tuesday asked Nawaz Sharif government to rectify its “diplomatic failings” without any further delay.
Referring to the ongoing US visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Senators expressed concern over what they called the “growing collusion between India and the US”.
PML-Q senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed referred to PM Modi's ongoing visit to the US and his scheduled address to the US Congress.
Hussain said that the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) would be considering India’s request to join the group in next couple of days and if it happens, Pakistan's chances of joining the group will be blocked.
“If India became a member of the NSG, it would be able to block Pakistan’s entry into the group," Hussain was quoted as saying by the Dawn. He alleged that these events clearly prove that Pakistan's diplomacy has failed completely.
Pakistani senators also expressed their concern over India's growing relations with countries like Afghanistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar which were traditional friends of Pakistan.
“We have alienated Iran and Afghanistan and the two countries are now improving their economic ties with India,” Hussain added.
Interestingly, Farhatullah Babar of Pakistan's Peoples Party said that the policy of supporting non-state actors for advancement of certain security objectives had spurred arms race in the region.
Indirectly hinting at the interference of Army in decision making, Babar said that there will be no arms race in the region if foreign and security policies are formulated by civilians.
"The civilian and political leadership must wake up and retrieve the space in formulating security policies already dangerously ceded to the security establishment," he added.
Former interior minister Rehman Malik lamented the fact that Iran was even ready to provide its base to India. He also rued that the US had never recognised Pakistan’s role in the war on terror.
"Why the US did not target Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour through its drones while he was travelling in Iran," Rehman Malik asked.
Pakistani senators were taking part in a discussion on an adjournment motion moved by PML-N’s Javed Abbasi on the “recent test of an intercept missile by India contributing to an unhealthy arms race in the region”.
“We are going to enter an unending arms race,” Mushahid Hussain Sayed said while referring to the May 15 Indian missile test.
However, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that his country does not want arms race but will do everything to augment its defence capabilities.
“Our efforts for peace and friendship must not be interpreted as our weakness. We are fully capable to defend our people and territory,” Aziz said.